Garmin’s new radar camera protects you against harm on the road.
Having one of the best dash cameras in your car has many advantages, but have you thought about placing one on your motorcycle? You should, according to Garmin, which has released the Varia RCT715 rear camera as an accessory for your bicycle. Recording what happened behind you is only the beginning.
Automatic Incident Capture is a function of the RCT715 from Garmin. In other words, it may capture everything that happened “before, during, and after” an accident, giving you a complete picture. In all of this, the integrated radar feature can play a significant role.
With a range of 459 feet, the radar system offers a 220-degree field of view. When a car approaches too closely, the radar can let you know. Aside from being compatible with Garmin wearables and cycle computers, the RCT715 may also notify you via the Garmin app.
Exactly like a dashboard camera for a car, the camera itself is constantly recording. For future reference, the RCT715 will automatically save any footage it recognises as an incident, and prevent it from being overwritten. When someone gets too close to the camera, you can set it up to be activated by a radar sensor.
The film is recorded to the 16GB SD card and may be accessed via the Garmin Varia app, no matter how you set it up.
To top it off, the Varia RCT715 camera has an integrated back light and is water-resistant to IPX7 standards. As a result, the back of your bike won’t become overrun with unnecessary junk. To be more visible in the dark, there are Night Flash and Day Flash settings. A maximum brightness of 65 lumens is offered for each.
There is a Peloton mode for those times when you’re riding in a group, which dims the light. There is nothing worse than being blinded by the tail light of the person in front of you.
The battery life isn’t great, but it’s totally up to the mods you’re doing to improve it. If the light is set to day flash, Garmin claims that you can get up to six hours of battery life.
With radar and 1080p recording turned on, the solid high and night flash modes should provide four hours of use.
It’s a pity, because this isn’t inexpensive. The $150 RVR315, the only Varia camera with radar, is the most affordable option. The $200 RTL515 adds light to the mix. The RCT715 will cost you back $400, or £350 in the UK, if you want to include a camera.
It’s just a price you have to pay to get all of those functions bundled together and operating for several hours at a time, though. Even the most advanced action cameras fall short of the advertised 6-hour battery life. However, the amount of cycling you intend to undertake will determine whether or not you require that many batteries.