My dredge cab got too quiet after the radio switch

I've been running dredges for years, and the cab was always full of talk between shifts. Since the bosses brought in new digital radios, that easy chatter has mostly stopped. Now we just hear calls from the office, no more tips or jokes. A new guy last week almost dug too deep because he worked alone without advice. I think we lose something good when we stop talking face to face.