Garmin has released a new safety device for your protection.

First Look: Garmin Varia RCT715 Rear View Radar, Camera and Tail Light

Garmin releases a new safety device: Garmin Varia RCT715 rear view radar, camera and tail light.  Since its release in 2020, I have been using the Varian RTL515 (rear-view radar and tail light) on 90 percent of my rides.  But, at first, I was a little sceptical about the need for radar.  I’ve tested it so far, how could it work?  I am happy with the result.  In addition to the Varia RCT715, Garmin has added a rear view camera.  Unlike the RTL515, I was more open-minded to see what benefits the added feature could bring to my rides.  Also, I’m more concerned about the role the video can play in the crash.

 Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance, angle and radial velocity of objects related to the site.

Radar technology is used today to track aircraft, spacecraft and ships in the sea, and insects and birds in the atmosphere;  To measure the speed of vehicles;  A planet or comet moving in space is used to measure the direction and speed of motion.

 Radar and riders like me

A few years ago, when Garmin launched its own Rear View radar apparatus, some of my friends immediately saw their usefulness.  (He uses the Varian RVR315.) So the visual notifications on his head unit and the warning tones emanating from the bike computer do a good job of alerting him to the approaching vehicle.  On the Edge device, you see an overlay on your data screen as the car approaches.  The point on the left represents the vehicle that is moving at the speed corresponding to the car.  Also, the sides of the screen change shade.  Yellow or amber indicates the vehicle is approaching.  Red indicates that the car is coming fast.  Green means there are no cars around.

 _{Garmin varia rct715, With the help of the Garmin Varia iPhone makes everything clear.} 

 Usually the sound of the wind blows into our ears during the ride, the vehicle coming from behind us does not notice, the car can sneak up on me.  Due to this new technology (RCT715, RTL515), the vehicle detects a distance of 140 m.  In solo rides, the Garmin Radar is like a concentrated riding mate that says “car back.”

You do not need a Garmin Head Unit to take advantage of the Varia RCT715.  You can download the Garmin Variana app for your smartphone.  The app alerts you about approaching vehicles and allows you to control the rear camera.

 Light

In the city, I have radar, but it is almost irrelevant because I am surrounded by motor vehicles.  Light work is important no matter where I ride.  I’m a big fan of using front and rear lights for day and night rides.  The Varian RCT715 has four tile-light settings, as well as standby mode.  Solid mode drives a high intensity beam that shines when the car approaches.  Peloton is a group-ride mode.  The light has a moderate shine and shines softly on the cars.  Night flash is bright.  The Blink Rate increases when the car is on.  The flash of the day is really bright.  It occasionally moves during blinking, which then fires into fast vehicles.  Light can be seen from a distance of 1,600 m.  The car driver must see you before looking at the Varia Radar car.

_{Garmin Varia RCT715}. 

 Varia RCT715 Setup

Preparing the Varya RCT715 for its first ride is a simple process.  Charging takes a while though.  If the battery is completely empty, it takes about five hours to get it to 100 percent with the plugged in component to your computer.  If you plug the USB cable directly into the AC power source, you can cut the charging time to about three hours.

I easily attached the Varia RCT715 to both my iPhone (via Bluetooth) and my Garmin Edge 530 (via ANT +).I used the Varia app on my telecel smartphone to configure the device.  The digital digicam can document constantly or while the radar detects a vehicle.  You can set the video to 1080p or 720p.  You can flip off the digital digicam withinside the app so that you can simply activate the lights.

Varia comes with 3 rubber bureaucracy that healthy your seatposts.  Its holder suits into one form.  Attach those  portions in your seatpost with a long lasting rubber band.  Varya then locks into the holder.  You can without problems unzip the var from its holder for charging.

 Shooting video

I discovered that the great place for the digital digicam is non-stop mode.  The unit comes with a sixteen GB reminiscence card. That means that 1.5 hours of footage recorded at 1080p can hold up quite a bit.  So, at the end of the four hour ride, I only saved the last one and a half hours.  If you save a video clip manually or take photos, those files are stored in folders that cannot be overwritten during continuous recording.  Those secure files, however, reduce the amount of video the device can store in its persistent mode: it overwrites older videos faster.

_{Status screen of Garmin Edge 530 with Garmin Varia RCT715 pair.}

Saving a video or photo from the Edge 530 is not a quick process.  If you’re on your data screen, you should go to the status page and scroll down to the Varia: Save a Clip option.  It requires three buttons and at least five presses.  If you get a radar notification and decide that you want to record, you need to be quick.  Another option is to reach down and press the record button inside var.  If your smartphone is embedded in your bars, the Variana app provides a quick way to record and save on the fly, as does the Variania widget on touch-screen edge units.  (My Edge 530 has a press-button interface, which I prefer to touch, especially when I wear lobster-claw mitts.)

_{Garmin Varia RCT715 Widget on Edge 830}

 Varian RCT715 Weight, Battery Durability and Life.

When I run Varia’s Radar, Camera and Light, it lasts a little over four hours.  In the end, the battery is almost dead.  I got a similar life from my old Varia RTL515, which only has radar and light.  The new unit looks like it has more juice.  It has a significantly higher elevation.  The new varia RCT715 indicates my dose at 147g.  The old Varia RTL515 weighs 91 grams.  I like how the new var has an on / off / toggle button on its side.  The primary variant of the previous version was at the top of it, which could face my seat bag.

 _{Garmin varia is a new varia rCT715.}

I’m not allowed to take the Varian RCT715 on a long ride.  If I’m in the country for more than four hours and have less traffic than the city, setting up a camera to record when activity is detected is a good option to get more life out of the battery.

Garmin’s statement on varia durability states, “The Varian RCT715 is designed and tested to withstand the forces most commonly seen during a bike accident.

 Video quality and file management

Watching videos captured by the Varia RCT715 on my rides make things a little more premium rush than they really are.  Are the cars too close or am I riding close to the motorists?  Less than 1m away from me I captured a pass from the SUV.  It sure looks tight in the video.  While searching for files for more greasy passes, I was surprised to see how many motorists move when they come to me.  That is exciting.

You can view files in varia with your smartphone.  The unit connects to your phone through its own Wi-Fi network.  My preferred method is to go through files with a direct USB connection to my laptop: the process is simply faster than the wire.  I set up the app to include all my videos with date, time, location coordinates and my speed.

 I experienced it.

During my initial audition with Varia, I was “lucky” to have the incident.  It was actually a false alarm.  I brake strongly and the Edge unit felt like I was in trouble.  It started beeping and counting before sending my emergency contact notifications.  I cancelled the event and continued to ride.  Once I got home and plugged the var into my computer, I noticed a file saved in the 100EVENT folder.  It was 1:30 long.  It consisted of 30 seconds of footage before the event, about 30 seconds after the moment of the question, and then 30 seconds.  In the Varia app, I can increase the length of the videos saved.  They can be up to 5 minutes.  Additional time is always added after the event.  So, for a 5-minute clip of the event, you get 30 seconds before, 30 seconds and four minutes later.  The clip of the event is treated as a saved clip;  It will remain on the memory card until you delete it.  It cannot be overwritten by continuous recording mode.

 My event is triggered by the event-detection feature on my Edgehead unit.  Varia then went into action.  If you don’t have a Garmin Head component with incident detection, Varian’s own crash-monitoring feature enables it when needed.  Varia does not send a notification to any emergency contacts.

_{Garmin Varia RCT715}

Reading licence plates

“Picking up camera licence plate numbers is crucial,” says Biking Lawyer Dave Shelnutt.  He’s a big fan of cameras.  He runs a high quality GoPro on the front of his bike.  “I have found burglaries in the city.  In rural and suburban settings, most disasters occur in the past: cars fail to make room for you, or they intentionally bump you.  Shelton’s father spent most of his ride in suburban / rural settings, so Shelnut bought his father a rear camera with light.

With Varia, I would say the ability to clearly register licence plates is very good.  My warning: I haven’t taken in the rain yet.  Bouncy surfaces affect recording;  It is difficult to make letters and numbers on rough roads as the car approaches.  In the clip of my event, some plates may be hard to read because the sun is behind the cars.  Generally, if the vehicle is less than two car lengths, you can read the plate.  No matter how far away the car is (wherever you want it) it can be difficult to see the licence.  But in the head, you’re good.  Well, this is not a good scenario, but the licence plate should be nicely picked up by the camera.

In a statement, Garmin said of the camera’s ability to film licence plates: “Our goal with the Varian RCT715 has always been to make and model vehicles.  Generally licence plates can be read clearly, but this depends on the position of the plate on the vehicle, the ambient lighting conditions and the font size and the colour contrast of the plate.

Why capture video of the event is important

For Shelnut, it’s important to have a video record of the incident.  The footage can be used to report savage driving.  For example, if Shelton’s father was buzzing with a fast moving vehicle, he could file a hazardous driving report with the make and model of the vehicle and prove that the car driver did not leave enough space.

The most serious scenario is when a car driver hits a cyclist.  Currently, Shelnut is representing a client from the Hamilton area.  A driver collided with a bike rider and the rider fell unconscious.  A serious injury to the rider’s head.  Police only spoke with the driver, who said the cyclist had turned randomly in front of the motorway.  “I have a tough accountability case,” says Shelnutt.  “I need to do an engineering report to see if the driver is going too fast. The camera shows what really happened. The video helps him in the process, but also helps the rider find justice.”  The area rider was not going to make a claim because he thought the accident was his fault, but he contacted Shelnut.

“Ultimately, in the hit-and-run scenario,” says Shelnut, “even if you are unconscious, you cannot remove the licence plate. The video community helps us to bring justice to people fleeing the crime scene.

The Canadian cost of the Varia RCT715

The Varia RCT715, which comes with a 16 GB memory card, comes with three rubber forms, one holder, two rubber fasteners, one USB cable and three cable ties that fit most major seatposts: $ 520.

First impressions of the Varia RCT715

At first I was not thrilled with the Weighty New Various Fair.  But really, when compared to a full water bottle, the weight of the weight falls in the bucket.  Battery life is OK.  More is always better here.  (More battery life means more weight.) I must say that 90 percent of my rides are good for run-time.  You should definitely set this device up for charging on the night of the ride because it takes a while to top up.

I would like to try to use the Varia widget on the touch-screen edge unit.  I imagine it is easier to save pictures or videos while on the fly.  It’s a pleasure to experience, but in the end, I’m sure I won’t use that feature much.  Continuous recording mode is probably the main component and my default.

We plan to continue using the Varia RCT715.  I’m expecting this to be our default tail light.

_{Garmin Varia RCT715}.  .

Video recording from the past is a crucial resource why?

sources Garmin