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RTL 510 / 515 connected with fenix 6X --- about (no) light mode control

Former Member over 4 years ago

hi all,

I've been using RTL 510 for almost 2 years now.

setup RTL 510 --- connected with Fenix (5X+) 6X on the handlebar.

fenix watch series seems that cannot deal with both - Light and Radar sensor at the same time

the two sensors appear when you try to connect new sensors.

so basically you have two choices:

add both Sensors (Light first)
add only Radar

if you do not add both sensors separately to Sensors, RTL will enter every time at power off/on (long press button) in pairing mode (purple led flashing) - easy to overcome, a push on the button will return in normal operating - but is a sign RTL miss something.

if you add firstly as Light

you have the menu for Individual/Auto and can choose the Light mode Individual/Auto
on Individual you can set Taillight in the three modes

you add now Radar

Light sensor (and menu) disappears
(but if you want to delete Radar you have to do it twice so somehow Light "anchor" remains there)
watch controls both Light and Radar
- when the activity starts, the RTL light starts and radar connects automatically
- when you end the activity, Light off, radar off
- you can use the Radar with the light off (circling the light mode from button short push)
I start now a bike/MTB activity
- the mode light RTL starts is the mode that was (set in Light sensor previously or changed by button) at the moment you paired the Radar - let's call it default light mode
Radar connected, I start the activity and I change the Light mode from the button
- after a while, the light mode is back to de default one.
- I do not like this behaviour as I do not want during the night to have "day flashing", nor during day "continuous mode", I want to change the light mode.

the logic is to split the roles:

to connect only as Radar (as the manual says)
control the light mode manually, from the button
of course, you accept the "enter every time at power off/on (long press button) in pairing mode (purple led flashing)"

but is a catch here:

the watch does not control the light mode, so you have to turn the light on/off manually (short push the button)
if the light mode is off (not powered off but circle by short push the button ....full power steady --- night flash ---- day flash ---- off --- full power steady---etc ) the Radar sensor does not connect
as soon as you enter a light mode other than off, Radar connects
this mode, as is a manually controlled mode, remains during activity
but at the end of the activity, the light mode remains, so you have manually turn it off

I do not like this behaviour. I would like the watch starts the Light as soon as connects as Radar, and the Light mode to be the one I want (from menu) or button., so a combination from the two connection.

Do you have another way to control the light mode when the display unit can't deal with both light and radar sensor?

as I was thinking to switch to 515, any thought are more than appreciated.

thank you,

robert

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0 Volker over 4 years ago

I have already reported that to the f6 fw team, but I don’t know if it is an issue (I think so) or just not work for the Fenix series.

You can give that widget a try:

apps.garmin.com/.../116ccf55-08e6-4bb1-8869-084e47c841c4

0 Former Member over 4 years ago in reply to Volker

as I use to say ... you never know if it is an issue or a feature...

oh perfect!...thank you for the widget tip!....! I'll definitely give it a try...

0 Former Member over 4 years ago in reply to Volker

yeap...does not work.

worked once after installed, nice.

but this is all.

I cannot enter anymore the widget. Tried uninstall/install, no workaround I could think at works.

have a good one!

robert

0 Volker over 4 years ago in reply to Former Member

Sorry to hear. Just checked it with my 516er and the widget is working well.

0 Former Member over 4 years ago in reply to Volker

hmm...maybe it is the time for a 515....

0 Volker over 4 years ago in reply to Former Member

Hi Robert,

I noticed that there is definitely something wrong at the moment. I have sometime to close the widget and open it again or have to power down and power on my 516 to get it work. Was working without problems before. Maybe an update of watch and or widget is responsible for this behavior? Will call the dev.

0 acousticbiker over 4 years ago in reply to Volker

What is the advantage of this CIQ widget vs just pressing the button on the Varia itself? It doesn't seem to unlock any additional functionality. For example, I was hoping that turning light off through the widget would enable a radar-only mode but that just puts it into standby - which does not include active radar - just like pressing the button on the unit.

The only potential advantage I see is being able to toggle the light mode while riding without getting off the bike to press the button (which is still somewhat inconvenient since it's a widget, it requires multiple button presses to do that and return to activity mode - not sure it's worth safety risk vs just stopping to press button on Varia itself).

0 Former Member over 4 years ago in reply to acousticbiker

I wanted to solve the following challenge when use fenix (6)

when you start the activity the Light starts with the mode unit was when you paired the Radar sensor - usually full steady
if you change from the button in night pulse or day pulse, after a while the Light will be back in the steady
- this was not true in the previous fenix firmware.... only now, after 9.0 and 10.10 is happening
- previously the Light mode I set from button remains for the next time the activity, and during the activity

for the short time the widget worked for me, I had the impression that Radar only (light off) mode is working....

0 Former Member over 4 years ago in reply to Volker

Volker said:
Will call the dev.

cool!...keep us posted please!

0 acousticbiker over 4 years ago in reply to Former Member

I had contacted the developer of RadarLight before about this question and he told me that RadarLight does not add any light/radar combinations to what Garmin already makes possible on the Varia. In other words, I don’t think a light off / radar on mode exists (at least the Garmin manual does not indicate that it does and my testing seems to confirm)