datlas 

Like most riders who have a Varia radar, I love it.

However, my unit, which is about 2 years old, seems to have a much shorter battery life compared to when it was new. I sometimes get only about 3-4 hours of "flash" mode. Possibly related, I notice that when I charge it, the indicator light (which usually flashes green) will occasionally go steady red....until I jiggle the cable and it resumes charging.

Any suggestions? I believe that trying to change the battery is doable but a challenge. I don't really want to buy a new one, but many of my rides are 4-5 hours long.

Polaris OBark

My gen 1 radar still holds a charge for about 6 hours. One thing I have found is if you leave it in standby mode, so that it can be turned on remotely from the head unit, the charge dissipates more quickly, so that if I charge it, remove it, let it sit around for a couple of days, and then ride, the apparent charge lifetime is significantly shorter. Two years is rather short. Maybe contact Garmin and see if they will replace the battery or send you a new one. They apparently are more generous than officially advertised via their warranty.

surak

Trying using a different cable and/or charger. I've never noticed a battery life issue with my 3+ year old RTL510, but it is finicky with how it's charged.

Seattle Forrest

Another option is a small battery pack in your seat bag. Doesn't look sexy, but should work.

I agree two years sounds very early for this, unless you charged it from empty to full every day. Garmin might help you out if you contact them about this, their service is excellent.

Polaris OBark

I charged mine empty to full almost every day, left on the charger, and all of those horrible bad battery citizenry things, and it was still ok.

I like Surak's suggestion of using a different USB cable. Stuff like that shouldn't matter, but it often does, especially with Garmin stuff.

Find one that doesn't wiggle around in the socket.

I am almost tempted to get the video cam one, not for the camera, but for the USB-C port.

(In unrelated news, I just received a great Cyglolite headlight today. When I opened the box, I was bummed out to see that they still use the horrible USB mini port. That thing is a true travesty.)

GAtkins

Definitely try a different cable. Also, make sure you turn the radar off manually. Found out both of these the hard way.

Glenn