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Any threat to health? Garmin Radar Varia

Hi guys,

considering buying Garmin Radar Varia RTL 510 bundle.

There are many reviews and opinions  around since first generation of the radar system from Garmin.  Without doubt, this is a great addition to safety.

However one aspect that is not covered or discussed is a potential influence on health after long term exposure of cyclist "sitting" on the radar beam.

Spec: Radio frequency/protocol: 24 GHz @ 12 dBm nominal/2.4 GHz @ 4 dBm nominal

I believe no one took this particular radar for any scientific test therefore concerns are more of general nature of being exposed to extra  radiation from radar 3-4 hrs a day.

Any thoughts?

Update 22.04.2019

Finally received Garmin Varia RTL510. 

On rear side of the box there is Warning from California Prop 65 saying "Cancer and Reproductive Harm". Right way to legally protect itself from Garmin. 

In supplied doccumentation there is a following text relevant to this post.

Radio Frequency Radiation Exposure

This device is a portable transmitter and receiver that uses an internal antenna to send and receive low level of radio frequency (RF) energy for data communications. The device emits RF energy below the published limits when operating in its maximum output power mode and when used with Garmin authorized accessories. To comply with RF exposure compliance requirements, the device should be installed and operated with a mimum 5 cm (2 in.) distance between the device and your body. The device should not be used in other configurations. This device must not be co-located or operated in conjunction with any other transmitter or antenna.  

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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40 comments

Avatar
ktache | 4 years ago
4 likes

Now I understand more, when "commuter racing" looking back to make sure you've actually dropped them means you are just trying too hard.

Avatar
Vovis | 4 years ago
0 likes

Will it fit drop bars without interfering much with position of hand? Sprinttech mirror seems to be more discreet, better integrated and  also look more "aero". That is not my setup but found elsewere. 

First experience with radar is very positive. So far no false positive detection.  Because radar doesn't have AI and no indication of type of vehicle provided, having such small extra mirror would be a good companion. As mentioned in comment section below the item on Amazon, "The mirror doesn't need a battery so it will outlast the Varia! "  1

Additonally implementation could be to watch how far behind other guys are without turning head. 

 

Avatar
hawkinspeter replied to Vovis | 4 years ago
3 likes

Vovis wrote:

Will it fit drop bars without interfering much with position of hand? Sprinttech mirror seems to be more discreet, better integrated and  also look more "aero". That is not my setup but found elsewere. 

Yes, I've got it on my drop bars and as it replaces an end-plug, it's nowhere near my hand. I position mine more inwards of the handlebars so that when leaning the bike against a wall, the mirror isn't moved at all, however that means that I'm more likely to hit it with my knee as I have long legs and a short wheelbase (never hit it whilst cycling though).

I'd say that it looks less aero than the Sprinttech ones, but the ease of adjusting it makes it much more useful. As these mirrors are small, they need to be in just the right place to give you a useful view and once you get used to using them, you can just have the quickest of glances to get an idea of what's behind you.

ktache wrote:

Now I understand more, when "commuter racing" looking back to make sure you've actually dropped them means you are just trying too hard.

Absolutely - with a mirror you can have a discreet glance to see if you've dropped them (rarely) or not (most common).

I do find a mirror handy for a pre-look when you're planning to turn right/switch lanes/exit a cycle path etc. You still need to have a full look behind you before performing a manoeuvre but sometimes you want to look to see if it's a suitable time to do it.

Here's my bike (currently cleaning it) with the mirror in place.

 

Avatar
Simon E replied to hawkinspeter | 4 years ago
3 likes

hawkinspeter wrote:

Here's my bike (currently cleaning it) with the mirror in place.

Disappointing.

I was expecting to see a furry character pop his head out of the top tube bag or admiring his/her own reflection in the mirror.

 3

Avatar
hawkinspeter replied to Simon E | 4 years ago
0 likes

Simon E wrote:

hawkinspeter wrote:

Here's my bike (currently cleaning it) with the mirror in place.

Disappointing.

I was expecting to see a furry character pop his head out of the top tube bag or admiring his/her own reflection in the mirror.

 3

Can you not see the hidden detail in the brickwork?

Avatar
hawkinspeter | 4 years ago
1 like

I'm a huge fan of my current handlebar end mirror after trying one of the Sprinttech style mirrors. The Cateye BM-45 is superb: https://www.amazon.co.uk/CatEye-BM-45-Bike-Mirrors-Black/dp/B011DLUBIK

What makes it the best is that it is easy to adjust to the perfect position whilst riding and yet it doesn't seem to move unless it gets knocked. With the Sprinttech mirror (I think I had a different make), you put it under the handlebar tape which makes it difficult to adjust after you've fitted it.

Avatar
Vovis | 4 years ago
0 likes

Hi guys, 

to complete the story, finally received Garmin Varia RTL510. 

Below is a picture of box itself indicating warning from California Prop 65. Right way to legally protect itself from Garmin. 

In supplied doccumentation there is a following text relevant to this post.

Radio Frequency Radiation Exposure

This device is a portable transmitter and receiver that uses an internal antenna to send and receive low level of radio frequency (RF) energy for data communications. The device emits RF energy below the published limits when operating in its maximum output power mode and when used with Garmin authorized accessories. To comply with RF exposure compliance requirements, the device should be installed and operated with a mimum 5 cm (2 in.) distance between the device and your body. The device should not be used in other configurations. This device must not be co-located or operated in conjunction with any other transmitter or antenna.  

Avatar
Vovis | 5 years ago
0 likes

@HoarseMann,

for trekking bike and long miles on roads  mirror like this is a nice thing.

For aerobike and aero handlebar you probably want something different due to drag. 

For regular roadbike 2 examples as well as image shown below can be adapted.

https://www.amazon.de/Sprintech-MI2004-Rennrad-Spiegel-Schwarz/dp/B0017W...

https://www.amazon.de/THE-BEAM-CORKY-fahrradspiegel-links/dp/B07D7DHSTZ/...

Again we are talking here only about danger coming from behind and mirror won't help in case you have bike or car in the back without light in dark.

I got undercut by car suddenly comming  from side to main street across bike path few days ago. Ended landing into its side window. There is no way how the current radar or mirror would help me.

There is still long way to go but I trully beleive that one day we will get AI powered device communicating with bike PC unit or independent, estimating risk of danger and necessary action from cyclist and driver. Not only presence or absence of vehicle should be detected  but vehicle behind should actively react to avoid danger for cyclist like advanced ACC systems do (google car etc).  

Avatar
HoarseMann | 5 years ago
3 likes

Well, before you splash the cash on the Varia, try one of these...

Not only does it give you a heads-up on the upcoming traffic, it will also let you know if it’s a tractor, lorry, that chav that always close passes on your commute etc...

https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/accessories/busch-muller-cycle-star-mirror-f...

Avatar
Vovis | 5 years ago
0 likes

@alansmurphy

Garmin Varia Radar is passive device unlike car's radar system and can't prevent something from happening.

It helps you with information about vehicle behind, and, should you wish, you got an extra second to react, adjust your cycling style or even stop if there is a large vehicle consuming 90% of narrow road for example.

If you are cycling in morning fog, on mountain's serpentine or got strong face wind, chances to detect car behind differently are very limited. 

Unfortunately, majority of cars on roads aren't equipped with ACC and delay in noticing of cyclists or human factor is still enormous.

Cateye has some statistics about accidents on site https://www.cateye.com/safety/

As you can see, rear-end collision is only 8.7% of full story. This, as well collision while turning without noticing car from behind, is an area where Varia can help.

Some cyclists noticed change in their cycling style to more forgiving using Varia and, because of that, they don't like it. It also depends what is your environment and if you can benefit from such  information of can't use it at all.

See video from Chris Miller Cycling below

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhf32Zd7swE

Happy and safe cycling!

 

 

Avatar
alansmurphy | 5 years ago
3 likes

I haven't an issue with your radiation concern as such, but how does knowing the car behind is going to kill you make you safer?

 

 

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ktache | 5 years ago
0 likes

Loving the footnote - If you're basing radiation safety procedures on an internet PNG image and things go wrong, you have no one to blame but yourself.

Another great post.

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hawkinspeter | 5 years ago
3 likes

This seems a suitable place to leave this handy radiation dose chart. It's more to do with radioactive elements rather than radio waves, but I'm a sucker for XKCD (https://xkcd.com/radiation/):

 

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Vovis | 5 years ago
0 likes

@Gasman Jim

conclusion and message of the day, was missing in order to place my order smiley

Avatar
Gasman Jim | 5 years ago
3 likes

I’ve been using a rear Varia unit since September last year.  I’ve just checked down below and my meat & 2 veg haven’t  fallen off so I’d say your worries are probably unfounded.

Hope this helps!

Avatar
Vovis | 5 years ago
1 like

@Mungecrundle,

thank you for publishing the link!

Very interesting. Indeed, there were many studies performed, so questions arose in scientific community accross different fields a long time ago, and  it seems, many were answered. Good to know.

Avatar
Vovis | 5 years ago
1 like

@John Smith, 

please calm down, pretty familiar with electromagnetic spectrum and its wavelenght/energy conversion. 

First of all, Excuse moi my bad English, I interpreted sunbed in a very different way  1 

 

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hawkinspeter replied to Vovis | 5 years ago
3 likes

Vovis wrote:

@John Smith, 

please calm down, pretty familiar with electromagnetic spectrum and its wavelenght/energy conversion. 

First of all, Excuse moi my bad English, I interpreted sunbed in a very different way  1 

 

Here in the UK, that's more like a rainbed.

This is what I thought of when you mentioned sunbed:

 

Avatar
HoarseMann | 5 years ago
1 like

5G mobile phones also use 24GHz, it’s nothing unusual or to be concerned about. I’m a comms engineer, so well versed in polar plots! The dB scale is logarithmic, so a 15dB drop represents a reduction in signal power of nearly 97%.

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Mungecrundle | 5 years ago
4 likes

https://www.who.int/peh-emf/publications/facts/fs226/en/

Chapter and verse based on peer reviewed data and actual science.

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Mungecrundle | 5 years ago
5 likes

Just imagine what could happen when passing a wind turbine? Why the cancer causing soundwaves might mix with the radar to mutate you into some sort of Marvel supehero!

Long and short of it. If you are concerned about the possible unknown health effects to yourself or your riding buddies, then it's probably not worth the stress of taking the chance.

Avatar
hawkinspeter replied to Mungecrundle | 5 years ago
2 likes

Mungecrundle wrote:

Just imagine what could happen when passing a wind turbine? Why the cancer causing soundwaves might mix with the radar to mutate you into some sort of Marvel supehero! Long and short of it. If you are concerned about the possible unknown health effects to yourself or your riding buddies, then it's probably not worth the stress of taking the chance.

Sold!

Avatar
Vovis | 5 years ago
1 like

@ Drinfinity

there is nothing wrong to discuss device made mainly for road cyclists on this site. 

I am not spamming or supporting any conspiracy theory about pure WiFi signal effect (from which our bodies developped a natural protection by evolution). Thread is related to radar beam.

Will I do good thing to my frined cycling behind me 5 hours exposing his head to the beam or better I do a favour and cycle in the back? And, what if there are 5 of us with Varia? This is a question.  

Your sunbed has nothing to do with road cycling neither with electronic devices, it's  passive; but you are right, if you want to find similar physical effect elsewhere, you always can  1

@hawkinspeter

I do not suffer from any kind of paranoia, including one related to electromagnetical polution and I am perfectly fine in place where I am.  Take care of your health in 1st place and happy cycling !  1

 

Avatar
srchar replied to Vovis | 5 years ago
5 likes

Vovis wrote:

I am not spamming or supporting any conspiracy theory about pure WiFi signal effect (from which our bodies developped a natural protection by evolution).

Either WiFi was invented much earlier than I thought it was, or I've misunderstood evolution.

Avatar
John Smith replied to Vovis | 5 years ago
5 likes

Vovis wrote:

Your sunbed has nothing to do with road cycling neither with electronic devices, it's  passive; but you are right, if you want to find similar physical effect elsewhere, you always can  1

And that right there shows you know far to little about the basics of the electromagnetic spectrum to be reading papers on it. 

 

The sunbed bed has everything to do with it. Both the sunbed and the radar release electromagnetic radiation. The difference being that UV wavelength is much shorter and more dangerous. If you want to worry about electromagnetic radiation being a danger cycling you need to worry about the big yellow fusion reactor in the sky emitting far stronger, more dangerous radiation than some battery powered radar thing.

 

If you really not convinced I have a radar protection amulet I can sell you for a barren price, and a bag of majic seeds.

Avatar
hawkinspeter | 5 years ago
1 like

@Vovis - there's a place for people like you: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-14887428

I don't mean that to sound rude as I'm actually quite intrigued by conspiracy theories and how they highlight the way that a lot of people think (i.e. tribal thinking and not really understanding why/how the scientific process should work).

What is interesting is the testing that they did on someone presenting EHS symptoms:

Quote:

She was seated on a wooden chair while voltage was applied to metal plates for pulses of 90 seconds to create a series of magnetic fields. The woman was asked to describe her symptoms after each exposure and after random sham exposures when, unknown to her, there was no voltage.

She reported headaches, pain and muscle twitching during the genuine exposures and no symptoms for the majority of the sham exposures.

The scientists concluded that such consistency could not be attributed to chance.

There's other stories of people reporting symptoms from phone masts when it turns out that the masts weren't switched on yet, so there's obviously some kind of hysteria going on too.

My advice to anyone suffering from EHS is to do some double-blind testing - get someone else to operate the power switch randomly and record symptoms periodically and see if there's any correlation.

 

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Sriracha replied to hawkinspeter | 5 years ago
3 likes
hawkinspeter wrote:

My advice to anyone suffering from EHS is to do some double-blind testing - get someone else to operate the power switch randomly and record symptoms periodically and see if there's any correlation.

 

I think you have described a "single blind" protocol. To be "double blind" neither the subject nor the operator must know whether placebo or real stimulus is happening. The truth should only be revealed at all after all data is collected, processed and analysed.

Avatar
hawkinspeter replied to Sriracha | 5 years ago
1 like

Sriracha wrote:
hawkinspeter wrote:

My advice to anyone suffering from EHS is to do some double-blind testing - get someone else to operate the power switch randomly and record symptoms periodically and see if there's any correlation.

 

I think you have described a "single blind" protocol. To be "double blind" neither the subject nor the operator must know whether placebo or real stimulus is happening. The truth should only be revealed at all after all data is collected, processed and analysed.

Yep, that sounds better - you'd probably have to have the switch operator just record when the electricity is flowing and have several subjects (not in the same room at the same time) reporting symptoms every minute or so (depending on how fast the symptoms manifest) and then have someone else perform the analysis. Maybe wrap the whole testing facility in aluminium foil too.

 

Avatar
Drinfinity | 5 years ago
4 likes

You also asked 

 

How one would get certified ionizing radioactive device for consumer electronic sector??

 

Sunbeds are an example of just such a device.

 

UV radiation I take very seriously, as it is a very significant health risk that cycling increases my exposure to. Opposite end of the spectrum to radio.

Avatar
Drinfinity | 5 years ago
0 likes

* I did Skyride Manchester once with the family. Great event, but I almost got taken out by a cycling smoker who suddenly stopped in the middle of Deansgate to light up.

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