Now farmers and ranchers can have immediate access to the data being collected by monitors in the cabs of tractors, sprayers and combines. Ayrstone Productivity introduced the AyrMesh Cab Hub, a custom-built combination including the company’s AyrMesh Hub2n, a booster that out-blasts typical Wi-Fi access points with 40 times the wireless power.

The Cab Hub also includes a unique cable that allows the Hub to be powered from a common 12-volt utility plug, and an external magnetic-mount antenna for a clear signal. It mounts in the cab of a tractor, sprayer, combine or truck to connect the devices in the cab to a farmer’s network. This allows farmers to use smartphones, tablets or laptops in the fields, as well as collect data from Wi-Fi-enabled cab computers.

“There is an incredible amount of data collected on-the-go, and getting that data some place where it can be used is critical to an operation,” said Bill Moffitt, president of Ayrstone Productivity, a provider of devices that enable wireless farm networking. He said the AyrMesh Cab Hub is a new way to get Wi-Fi connectivity in the cab of the tractor.

“The most valuable data on the farm, and some of the most difficult data to move where it can be effectively used, are the seed, application and harvest data trapped in the monitors on your machines,” he added. “Getting that data out has been a hassle with downloading to compact flash cards or USB drives and walking it to the house, or worrying about expensive and spotty cell reception.”

In order to use a Cab Hub, farmers must already have an AyrMesh network. The Cab Hub connects to other Hubs in the AyrMesh network and provides a strong Wi-Fi signal when you’re within range of another Hub – up to 2.5 miles away. Because each Hub can be up to 2.5 miles apart, there is a total coverage area of 7.5 miles in each direction from your home-base receiver.

“The Cab Hub is weatherproof and easy to install,” added Moffitt. “It allows for superior Wi-Fi and network coverage across a property and through fields, and the AyrMesh Network works with any router and broadband Internet connection.”

The AyrMesh Cab Hub retails for $499.95 and can be purchased from a local Ayrstone Pro Partner or on the company’s website at www.ayrstone.com.