Cell Phones: A Safety Device?

[Roy]

Correct about leaving it off, yet having it available. This would be an option in most cases. But, I should of fully explained my own particular circumstances. The tractor never leaves my property, and I am always visible from the house, or by neighbors. My property is very small (slightly under 2 acres). What I also should of explained is that my wife wants me to carry the phone, so that she can contact me (when she is away from the house). So, she wants it on. I think that she has become spoiled, normally having constant access to me. She knows the pager will find me, wherever I am in the world (I never do business in the Arctic, but maybe some day).

Do I see value in it for emergencies (your in the woods and out of site, for example). You bet. But it won't do much for those extreme accidents (loss of consciousness, for example).

So…. I propose the ultimate safety system. A simple port (USB for example) connecting a modified tiltameter to a GPS receiver and to a modified cell phone. When the tiltameter sense a flip, a call is automatically placed to 911 giving the GPS positioning data /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif. Far fetched? Maybe one day. In the mean time, take the phone if out of sight.

 

[Bird]

In my area, there is quite a bit of low land where a cell phone simply cannot be used; no coverage. I wonder how many of people have that problem.

Bird

 

[bpence]

glennmac, you've probably learned a valuable lesson that all of us have learned at some time or other about venturing into "uncharted" areas with a tractor. Even after you've scouted an area well, holes and soft spots can sneak up on you and cause the blood and adrenilin to flow a little faster at times. Slow and easy is the only way to work into new areas.

As far as carrying a cell phone, I always take mine if I'm working away from view of the house or at someone else's property. I figure, just like you were thinking, that if something were to go wrong I'd have a way to call for help. I use a magnet to attach mine to a flat cover in front of the seat on my B7100. I got the idea from the holder I use in my Explorer, that uses a magnet on the top end of a flexible gooseneck for holding the phone. The phone battery holds snuggly against the magnet on the tractor and has never moved through all the bouncing and stuff bush hogging and back country work is prone to. I found the magnet at a TSC store - it's about 1" long x 2" wide x 1/4" thick and cost $2 - $3. I do keep the phone in a zip-loc plactic bag when on the tractor due to dust, but no other special precautions. Also, I don't leave it on since I wear ear plugs when running hard and seriously doubt anyone could hear the phone ringing over the sound of a fine running diesel engine anyway. The magnet just goes into the toolbox on the tractor when not being used.

Bob Pence

 

[TomG]

There is no cell coverage for about 75 miles along and off the highway here in N.E. Ontario. Most travelers don't know their cell phones won't work, and people that live near the highway sometimes have to phone for help in emergencies. Of course, the emergency just gets worse if there's nobody home, or people can't find a nearby house. Some municipalities have posted signs indicting that there is no cell service.

Several companies are extending their networks here, and the area should have cell service by next summer. Then, maybe I'll stop using a CB. Until then, a CB is the only way of contacting somebody if you break down in the bush, and even then, not very far into the bush.

 

[roysallis]

During the winter of 98 I worked in the southeastern part of Saskatchewan. My coworker, also from Alabama, and I did not feel safe without carrying a cell phone since we were traveling in some remote areas far off highway 1. Unfortunately, there was no cell phone coverage in these areas. Fortunately, we never had a situation where we needed one. We did get stuck in the snow several times but we were able to dig out with our snow shovel.

 

[JerryG]

I always carry my cell phone with me when I’m on the tractor and or on the farm. And yes I have lost it twice. Once I lost it in one of my poultry houses and didn’t find it for two days. The other time I lost it, I was almost finished brush hogging a 15-acre field. That time it took my four kids and me, 2 and half-hours to find it. I decided that I was tired of loosing it and something had to be done. I put some of the small chain that you see on trucker billfolds on to one of my phone covers. Now I clip it to a belt loop and slip the case on my belt and don’t worry about losing it. Problem solved.
JerryG

 

[Harv]

Now y'all got me thinking (I hate when that happens).

Most of my tractor work will be done out of sight of the house, and frequently out of earshot, too. Whenever I hit one of those unexpected side tilts (usually backing up over a boulder or tree root or pile of dirt I just created), I thought about how anybody would know if I was hanging upside down from my seatbelt, or worse.

Cell phones don't work well in the general area 'cuz of all the hills and valleys, but I think they work on our property since we're on relatively high ground. I'll have to check that out.

Another thought is to use the same technology that we installed for my elderly mother. There's a service called "LifeLine", which consists of a single-button device that you wear around your neck or on your wrist and a receiver unit in the house. The receiver unit is connected to the phone line and automatically calls the LifeLine service when the remote button is pushed. The call instantly shows up on a computer screen at the local LifeLine dispatch center (in our case this is at the local hospital) and an emergency operator then starts calling a set of phone numbers which we registered with them. The first call is usually to the house -- the receiver unit in the house includes a very sensitive microphone/speaker system so they can hear and talk to someone who has, say, fallen and can't get up. The other numbers consist of friends and neighbors who have agreed to help out, and then, if all else fails, the local police, sheriff or highway patrol are dispatched to investigate.

The downside to the LifeLine system is that the range between the remote button and receiver unit is limited to a couple hundred yards. I could easily be farther than that on my tractor.

I could always carry a whistle, but that would also be distance-limited, and it might be difficult to blow hard enough if there's a 4,000 pound tractor sitting on my chest. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

Okay, enough thinking out loud -- it's time to chekc into getting a cell phone.

 

[glennmac]

Harv,

I'm shocked. A gadget geek who doesn't have a cell phone. Every teenager in America has a cell phone. By the way, if you are a computer geek how come you don't have a laptop, or an alternate computer, to bring to the ranch. No electricity? No phone service? You're gonna lose traction as our high-tech role model. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Actually, never bring a computer to the ranch. You'll be tempted to spend time on Tractorbnet instead of in the seat. By the way, does anyone know of a 12 Step Program for Tractorbynet?

 

[Harv]

Glenn -

I've wanted a laptop for years, but I haven't been able to justify it so far. For the last 5 years I've worked out of my home office. I have a desktop in each of 4 different rooms, all networked together and on the internet via DSL. Since my work is internet-based now, whenever I meet with a client we just use his computer to access the project at hand.

Same deal with the cell phone. I don't really travel and am never far from a land phone. Anybody who needs to reach me knows my pager number.

I have been thinking about getting a cell phone for my wife, however. I understand you can get an emergency-only service package for a reasonable cost. That would eliminate some of the worry from her occassional day outings with the kids. At least if her car broke down she would be able to call for assistance. Now it seems that same deal might be appropriate for me when I'm out tractorin'.

TractorByNet addiction? Just for the record -- I only get on this message board in the evenings when there is nothing on TV (okay, sometimes I tape the show if there's a really good discussion going on). I suppose sometimes I stay up a little late to finish off some posts, but 2 a.m. isn't that late. Sure, maybe I get up early to see what you east-coasters are up to, but I usually only spend a couple of hours on that before I get to work. And even though I'm always connected, I resist the temptation to check new postings during the day, except for this one, of course. And it only takes me a little longer to do my tractor projects when I'm hopping on and off my 'Bota to take pictures to share with y'all.

I could quit any time I want. Really! /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

 

[uppermich]

I've got the same range problem with cell phones on my property. This summer I bought a Panasonic 2.4 GigHz cordless phone on the recommendation of the telcom folks at work. This phone has an astounding range - so far I've been able to use it all the way to the end of the drive (550 feet from the house) with no sound or signal degradation. It has a pager function to and from the base unit, caller ID and a belt clip. I clip it to a pocket or waistband and I carry this around with me and use it whenever I go out to the barn, the shop or even on the pond (in a depression about 300 feet from the house and surrounded by trees and brush).

I had tried a Siemens 2.4 Gig, top of the line, 2 line phone with fantastic features, but returned it - the range was terrible. It was FAR worse than my old 900 MHz VTech.

You can never be too safe!!! I slipped on the ice a few years ago and fell hard. Luckily I was only bruised, but it sure made me feel vulnerable. I was less than 100 feet from the house, but if I would have broken something, I'm not sure how I would have made it back inside.

Pat