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Upgrade your communication tools

Hoosier Perspectives: Consider changing your communication methods before next season.

Allison Lynch, Indiana Prairie Farmer Senior Editor

October 14, 2024

3 Min Read
Close-up of a two-way radio in use inside a combine
NO HASSLE: Using a two-way radio communication device takes the hassle out of getting ahold of your crew. Simply send out a message to everyone on the channel at the same time.Ryan Lynch

I’ll be the first to admit that I rely on my phone way too much. I know it’s always in my pocket, ready to handle a call or a quick text message. Never have I really thought about using other means of communication. My phone is always there.

However, I am also the first to panic when I’m in an area with no signal and can’t get out an important call or message. That feeling of being stranded sets in, and I’m staring at the bars on my phone until they magically fill in again and I have signal.

I understand that I am an extreme case — part of the generation that has grown up using its phones for everything. And I know that for some of the older generations, a day with no signal is not the end of the world. But while you’re working on the farm, you should always have some way to communicate.

New tools

Phones are not the most reliable form of communication on the farm. There are too many pockets with low or no signal, meaning you could be stranded during a farm accident. Before heading out to the field with the planter next spring, consider trying some new communication tools.

Midland spokesman and farmer Sam Warren shares that Midland’s GXT67 Pro is a handheld radio device added to its lineup of products that all ensure reliable communication anywhere on the farm.

“As long as you’re on the same channel, everybody can communicate together,” Warren says. “So, when a person in the combine or driving the grain cart sends out communication on the radio, everybody instantly hears it.”

That kind of communication sure beats the “call failed” message when a call drops from the field. Sometimes, you may not even hear the phone ring. With a device like this, there is no answering the phone. The message is simply delivered to you without touching any buttons. Imagine having that kind of efficient and effective communication from anywhere on the farm.

Full circle

Warren explains that many farmers used to rely on this type of communication, so it is not a foreign concept. However, with the advent of cellphones, many farmers turned to those. But they simply do not beat the reliability of these radio devices.

“Now, we’re back to seeing the importance of having that instant communication for safety, for efficiency,” Warren says. “It’s just nice to have that one-to-many communication instantly, where everybody hears the message.”

With the GXT67 Pro handheld device, anybody on the farm can just grab and go. There are no wires involved. This makes it easy for seasonal help to stay connected, whether they’re in the semi, driving the grain cart or moving trucks between fields.

For me, having a device like that would take the panic out of seeing the bars fade away on my phone. And I think for anyone trying to stay connected during planting or harvest, a radio device like this could keep them safe while helping things move smoothly. Take time now to evaluate your communication tools before moving into next season.

About the Author

Allison Lynch

Indiana Prairie Farmer Senior Editor, Farm Progress

Allison Lynch, aka Allison Lund, worked as a staff writer for Indiana Prairie Farmer before becoming editor in 2024. She graduated from Purdue University with a major in agricultural communications and a minor in crop science. She served as president of Purdue’s Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow chapter. In 2022, she received the American FFA Degree. 

Lynch grew up on a cash grain farm in south-central Wisconsin, where the primary crops were corn, soybeans, wheat and alfalfa. Her family also raised chewing tobacco and Hereford cattle. She spent most of her time helping with the tobacco crop in the summer and raising Boer goats for FFA projects. She lives near Winamac, Ind.

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