Have you had your combine GPS checked by Vantage ahead of the season?

At this time of the year activity in our fields is picking up and with harvest season just around the corner you need to make sure your equipment is ready. Pre-season check of equipment allows peace of mind when getting to the field and ensures your prepared for the season to come.

What to expect from your pre-season checks;

• Backup of equipment profiles and farm/field data meaning it’s all recoverable should any issues take place or data is lost.
• Update to latest firmware version(s) for optimum performance improving processing speed and display performance.
• Receive an itemised inventory of all equipment and serial numbers, useful for insurance purposes and recovery should theft happen.
• Complete 62-point check on equipment covering;
  • Interior/exterior cabling condition and routing to check no cables are damaged from rodents or wear from previous season.
  • External hardware and connections making sure there is no damage, water ingress or wear.
  • Hardware specification including licenses to ensure required licenses have not expired or are correct specification for machine(s).
  • Steering performance, profiles and calibration for optimum steering performance and accuracy, compensate for wear.
  • Correction signal connectivity and performance checking correction source, frequencies, and license expiry plus, making sure correct signal can be engaged and held.
  • Accessory cabling and performance checking over any remote engage switches, RTK whips etc for cabling and damage.
  • Application control connections (ISOBUS/ Serial Rate/ TUVR) and performance making sure implements are performing as they should be and feeding back to display correctly.

Contact us today to discuss how we can help you get your equipment ready for the season ahead.

Vantage ASC grows further with additional Installation & Service Engineer

Continuing to deliver their vision for UK customers, Vantage ASC have strengthened their service and support team further with the addition of Mike Coxe.

Mike has been working in Agriculture for the last 14 years as both an operator and in management roles giving him a clear understanding of customer needs when it comes to GPS and technology systems in the field.

“I have always had an interest in Agriculture and the technology which is involved. Having had experience of Vantage in the past as an operator looking for support in the field, the opportunity to join the team and help others with technology was something I had to explore further”.

Mike studied Agriculture & Crop Production at Riseholme College before taking a lead operator role in Lincolnshire which would see his first encounter with Trimble equipment in 2010. Leaving the RTK equip

ped CAT MT765c behind, Mike continued to operate and manage equipment throughout Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire which includes exposure to controlled traffic farming. Most recently a field manager at a potato growing organisation Mike has been responsible for all aspects of the crop cycle and associated operations.

“I have been fortunate to see a wide range of businesses during my career and worked with some inspiring people, it will be a pleasure to use these skills and experience to help Vantage customers. Being able to introduce and maintain precision technology on farms and have access to a great selection of products is exciting, especially during this period of change within UK Agriculture.”

Andrew Williams, National Service Manager at Vantage ASC, says ‘we are always looking for people with the right attitude and a passion for our industry and we have been fortunate to find Mike. Based in Nottinghamshire, Mike will strengthen our geographical coverage with an aim to further improve our customer response times. Being an experienced operator and manager, Mike has a great understanding of customer requirements and priorities with a desire to deliver’

‘Mikes appointment will bring our team of remote personnel up to 12 which is great. Having a strong distribution of sales and service people throughout England & Wales, focussed only on technology is really important for us. We continue to grow in line with our customer needs and continue to develop and move forwards with Mike on board.’

Editors’ notes

Vantage England and Wales, formerly AS Communications, are your local precision agriculture expert on the full suite of Trimble solutions, making precision technology work seamlessly across complex farming operations. With 30 years’ experience overall, our team has an extensive skillset in all areas of precision agriculture and is equipped to bring our industry-level technical expertise, customer service and support capabilities to your farm.

Our mission is to provide market leading precision farming solutions to enhance farm efficiency and profitability.  Combining the best brands and products with expert, unrivalled, customer focused service and support.  Based on an overriding care and passion for UK farmers, UK agriculture and the environment.

For more information visit www.vantage-ag.uk or email info@vantage-ag.uk

New Look For Our Parent Company AS Communications!

We’re excited to announce our parent company, AS Communications, has a fresh new look!

AS Communications has provided market leading precision farming solutions to the  to the UK agricultural industry by distributing a range of high quality, innovative precision farming product brands. Combined with expert, unrivalled customer service and support based on an overriding care and passion for farmers and agriculture within the UK.

The company has always been committed to bringing the most innovative and up-to-date technology to farms across England & Wales, helping them to be as efficient and profitable as possible. Supplying Trimble’s ever-growing portfolio of GPS steering solutions, as well as many other marketing leading brands in the sector.

Read more below . . .

AS Communications was established in 1989 by founder and managing director William Mumford when he recognised that the agricultural industry in the UK would benefit from a team of experts in the field of modern electronics and precision farming techniques. During 1995, William assisted with the installation of GPS base stations for AGCO required for their FieldStar yield mapping system. This led to the first wide-scale use of yield mapping in the UK.

In early 2003, AS Communications was approached by Trimble Agriculture with an offer to become one of only two official resellers for Trimble in the UK. Later that same year, it had the first successful sale of the Trimble Autopilot automated steering system in Europe.

In 2014, AS Communications celebrated its 25th anniversary, marking a key milestone for the company. It continued to be integral in increasing the leading market share held by Trimble Agriculture in the precision farming industry, and gained many other key suppliers to further extend its offering to the precision farming market.

In January 2019 AS Communications further enhanced their relationship with Trimble and created a new business, Vantage England & Wales Limited which continues to go from strength to strength, pushing the industry forward.

Which brings us into 2021, where we find our businesses evolving.  So what better to than refresh our parent company’s logo and incorporate it into all things Vantage England & Wales, who continue to offer the same great quality, service and precision that AS Communications has always offered.

How many extra miles do you do supporting your team in the field?

How much time is spent explaining which A-B line should be used, to an operator? Save time and energy!

Vantage England & Wales can connect you to your Trimble devices and create a WIFI hotspot in the cab, allowing connectivity and benefits such as;

– WIFI hotspot to connect your devices, perfect for iPads with no sim

– Access web pages such as GateKeeper from the field.

– Download operators manuals to save trips to the yard.

– Remotely access and control your guidance display, you or your Vantage dealer can see and rectify issues without attending site.

– Backup your display data to the cloud, reduce risk of losses.

– Track machine location and travel paths in the field, updating every 60 seconds you can plan your operation or check on progress.

– Bring fields to life as a Google Map will complement the field in the display, letting you or your operator reference location.

Vantage England & Wales can supply a connectivity package to all GFX, TMX and XCN displays. Think how much time you could save this season, get in touch with us today.

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Vantage strengthens service backup with engineering expertise

Dedicated to delivering up to date products and the best back up in the business, Vantage England & Wales have added a new installation & Service engineer to their team.

Harry Hamer is the most recent addition and will be based in the North West of the companies trading area, England, and Wales. Joining the company from a CNH dealership, Harry is looking to apply his knowledge of modern machinery architecture and develop it further with Trimble solutions.

“I have had an interest in agriculture and equipment from a young age which has seen me pursue a career in mechanical and electrical engineering. Joining the Vantage team will allow me to build on this with the added benefit of being exposed to all makes, models and types of machinery’.

Harry’s family have been involved with Agriculture, which triggered a natural interest in the industry. After graduating from Reaseheath college with a distinction in Land Based Technology, Harry went on to operate equipment in the local farming community which included harvest/ cultivation work using GPS. Looking for a new challenge Harry then joined a CNH dealership where he witnessed first-hand diagnostics, service management, integration with implements and first-class customer service.

“Having used the systems on farm and then supporting customers who use them, I can see the pitfalls in not being dedicated to a particular area of technology as there are so many variables. Joining Vantage allows me to focus on the technology side of Agriculture, which is what I enjoy, it will allow me to focus on delivering a solution for customers. Being able to provide support and back up on farm, by phone and remotely using the WIFI connectivity will be hugely satisfying, for both me and the customer”.

Mark Griffiths, national sales manager at Vantage England and Wales, says ‘Harry’s appointment will help strengthen our customer promise regarding service. We support customers, dealers and OEMs to deliver the best technology, having people on the ground is key to support it on farm’.

‘Harry will be located in a key area of the UK helping us to cover challenging geography associated with the West such as North Wales and the Peak District, but with the benefit of travel links to service all of our customers. Having experienced our equipment on the farm as a user and technician, we look forward to Harry helping our customers and increase their performance further than even they expected’.

Contact us today to find the precision ag solution for you, from Vantage.

Making the Connections – With Arable Farming and Mark Griffiths

Back in January Arable Farming magazine spoke to our National Sales Manager, Mark Griffiths to discuss the rise of different precision technology equipment on the farm and how can we make sure it will all work together. In this article Mark breaks down the process of  precision technology across your fleet and provides solutions to common issues when it comes to introducing technology to your machinery and decision making process – take a look at the article in full below.

Credit: written and published by Arable Farming Magazine, January 2021 Issue.

Find out more about our range of products and solutions here.

Vantage England & Wales teams up with SmartWater to reduce GPS theft & deter rural crime

 Vantage England & Wales will now be applying SmartWater to Trimble equipment, the market leading technology in forensic security and arguably the most powerful deterrent of theft in the UK.

Providing a solution to deter theft and reduce the associated risks, Vantage England & Wales are able to;

–          Apply SmartTrace liquid, signage at PDI for new equipment, supplying remaining liquid and signage to the customer

–          Register assets on the SmartWater ISO27001 accredited database, live and accessible to police

–          Register assets with Trimble and notify of theft, flagging equipment globally should upgrades/ usage be attempted

Each Trimble system includes a bottle of liquid with a unique forensic code which is applied to your assets, remaining in place for 5 years. Included are sticker sets for displaying on your item, letting criminals know the items are marked, recorded and likely to end them up in prison.

SmartWater are the only forensic technology used in evidence to jail thousands of criminals to date and retains a 100% conviction rate in Court.

In addition to applying the liquid and recoding at equipment PDI, Vantage will be recording serial numbers in the Trimble asset database. Equipment registered as stolen will be flagged and available to see globally, any items requesting updates or renewals will be identified and the local Trimble re-seller notified to alert the authorities and owner.

Vantage England & Wales value our customers and want to keep assets on farm for longer and this partnership with SmartWater is one step of many.

“We are delighted to be working with and supporting Vantage England and Wales with this industry first venture. Valuable assets will now be forensically marked, making them uniquely identifiable and therefore less attractive to thieves. With hundreds of criminal convictions to date and a 100% conviction rate in court, criminals are aware of the power of SmartWater to categorically link them to their crimes”.

Gary Higgins, COO of SmartWater

 Customers should get in touch with Vantage England & Wales (01480 861824) to discuss reducing theft on their farm and registering assets with us. We are also able to supply;

• Software for cloud based back up of data & wireless data transfer
• Quick release bracketry for easy removal/install of equipment
• Telemetry for powered & non-powered assets

Free webinar to help farmers get started with precision technology

Farmers who want to get started with precision technology and learn how it can improve efficiencies can get the lowdown on May 15 in a free online webinar. Organised by Trimble and its UK and Ireland dealer network, the webinar will explore the basics of precision farming, how to get started, and where to seek big results with little input.

“It’s the first live webinar we’ve ever done; we’re all sitting in home offices rather than being out at shows meeting and greeting people,” explains Lee Clarke, regional sales representative at Trimble. “The only way to reach out to farmers at the moment is using this new technology – perhaps it will be the new norm in future.”

Efficiency is key to farming businesses – whether that’s in the field or in record-keeping – and precision technology can help with all of that, says Mr Clarke. “Farmers are faced with rising input costs and extreme weather events which tighten the window of opportunity to carry out field work. There are also more demands for traceability and detailed record keeping. Precision fieldwork and linking data through apps address every aspect of that.”

The straight-talking webinar – entitled Precision farming solutions for today’s farmer – will cover arable and grassland technology, and conclude with a Q&A with Trimble’s UK-Ireland dealer network; Vantage England & Wales, Soil Essentials and Vantage Ireland.

The technology covered will include GPS tractor guidance systems and autosteer, section and rate control for sprayers, and the use of sensors for weed control and yield monitoring. It will also include the use of in-cab displays and connectivity between the tractor and farm computer or phone.

“The idea is to give real practical advice to farmers who want to get started with precision technology or get more out of the systems they are already using,” says Mr Clarke. “I hope that farmers will find it genuinely beneficial; we plan to hold further free webinars in the future.”

To register for the webinar please visit https://bit.ly/2zJ2VsF

New appointment in a diverse landscape for Vantage England & Wales

Paul Alcock is joining the Vantage England & Wales team as an Area Sales Manager to cover the North Wales and West Midlands region.

Bringing with him a range of experience within the agricultural industry, Paul’s past experiences include working in aftersales, technical support and in contractor instructor roles both in Eastern Europe and West Africa.

Drawing on all this experience gives him a unique view on his customers’ needs. Farmers will be sure to find a customer focused approach with Paul.  You can see he has a passion for the sector and the people within it.

When it comes to finding precision farming solutions, focusing on what is important to customers and their needs is key. For Paul the attraction to this role was being involved in the application of technology in agriculture. “Vantage are an established leader in the UK within the field of precision ag technology.” he says, “working with the Trimble brand gives you the confidence that you are providing your customers with the best solutions which will work for them”. The Trimble product range allows customers to seamlessly join up there operations regardless of manufacturer or brand. With this diversity in product range farmers are guaranteed to find a solution that works for them.

Mark Griffiths, National Sales Manager  says “Paul brings a lot of experience to the sales team having worked for equipment manufacturers in the past managing aftermarket and distribution channels. The area of North Wales and West Midlands is diverse in farm type and due to its geography, our support of the dealer networks will be key in getting more of our solutions to the end users”.

In terms of value to the farmer, Paul wishes to focus on a more rounded approach  “Not only do I want to support my customers, but also the dealer network in my area, OEM’s and users alike” Supporting all business networks provides a stable and consistent product offering to all customers and end users. Paul will bring experience of business to business sales and knowledge of how dealers support customers,  important  for this sales region.

Although generally considered the industrial centre of the country the West Midlands plays an important role in our country’s agricultural industry too, with a diverse range of farming applications taking place within the counties that make up this region. Put that together with the northern regions of Wales and you have an exciting area of the country to be working within.

Traditionally we think of precision ag technology solely for the arable farmer however as Mark goes on to say “Often we underestimate the advantages our products can bring to areas associated with livestock, this is something we would like to improve and Paul plays a large part in helping customers realise the full potential of their farms.”

There are great opportunities to develop the future of farming. With access to the Trimble product portfolio Paul will be able to deliver a connected farm and assist customers in making the most of their technology. Together growing and developing to build a stable farming future utilising technology which facilitates the industry to thrive.

Contact us today to find the precision ag solution for you, from Vantage.

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A statement from Vantage England & Wales Ltd

As the Coronavirus pandemic evolves, we are endeavouring to manage the situation as best we can and understand these are extraordinary and very difficult times for us all.

Our team & customers health and safety are of paramount importance to us, so we, like many other responsible companies, will be minimising our personal contact and working remotely where possible.

We would like to reassure you that we are still very much open for business.  We will continue to deliver the best possible service within the social distancing guidelines to all our customers.

This situation is ever changing as you will all appreciate and with that in mind, we will update you as soon as we can.  Please continue to contact us in the usual ways, by phone, email or social media.

We appreciate your patience and on-going support.