Handsets, Buttsets....

[ultramegabob]

I dont get into alot of phone/data work, but I do troubleshoot some simple phone systems for customers. I usually use a cheap phone and a meter for troubleshooting the lines. Im just wanting to know what a buttset does that makes it worth a couple hundred dollars...

 

[mdshunk]

I used a TS-19 for years, but gave it to a helper. I upgraded to a TS-22 which is pretty much the same but it has a speakerphone. What do you intend to do, exactly? Mike Sandman has some really cool butt sets for fantastic prices: http://www.sandman.com/

 

[ultramegabob]

today was kind of an odd day, I had 2 customers that had phone issues, one was a damaged line, the other was just wanting to move a credit card machine to another line, It just got me thinking about looking at buttsets, I can usually take care of whatever Im doing with a meter and an old phone that I keep on the truck, I have never used a butset, dont really know what all they do...

 

[electricalperson]

i have a little buttie pro. it does the job and works fine

 

[480sparky]

I used a TS-19 for years, but gave it to a helper. I upgraded to a TS-22 which is pretty much the same but it has a speakerphone. What do you intend to do, exactly? Mike Sandman has some really cool butt sets for fantastic prices: http://www.sandman.com/

Same here.

 

[ultramegabob]

can anyone fill me in on what options they have or what they can do with them?

 

[electricalperson]

http://www.techtoolsupply.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=847
heres mine

 

[mdshunk]

can anyone fill me in on what options they have or what they can do with them?

Unless you work for the phone company, you don't really need a fully featured one. You don't really know the "codes" to be able to utilize it anyhow. Functionally, it's just a regular phone with alligator clips, more or less. For an electrician, I think your main choice is what color do you want? You should also get a gizmo called a "banjo" (breakout adaptor) as a companion for your butt set.

 

[480sparky]

Most butt sets also allow you to listen to the line while not actually disrupting the line.... handy if you get into data or fax lines. You don't have to worry about disconnect someone's 'net service or corrupting a fax transmission.

 

[mdshunk]

Most butt sets also allow you to listen to the line while not actually disrupting the line.

Yeah, sorta forgot about that. There's a button on the side you can toggle to "monitor". If you're slick with the clips on the 66 block, they won't even here a crackle when you tap in.

 

[480sparky]

You should also get a gizmo called a "banjo" (breakout adaptor) as a companion for your butt set.

For those who are wondering about a banjo:

 

[jrdsg]

buttset blues

buttset blues

Buttsets are like master keys. If you are carrying an authentic-looking buttset with your tool pouch, someone from the customer's staff will recognize you as a phone guy and let you in pretty much anywhere, no questions asked. One thing is for sure, if you are seen carrying a $5 Chinese phone with bare wire leads dangling off, no one will mistake you for a phone repair guy.

Amusingly, Mike Sandman has items which are designed either to take advantage of being recognized as a phone guy, or to conceal your phone guy status, depending on which is to your advantage at the time.

Buttsets can also be equipped with cool features like insulation-piercing alligator clips, banjos, amplified hands-free speakerphone, digital caller-id, etc. One of the most useful accessories is a special clip for locking the lead to a BIX block or 66 block while doing something else with the hands.

Is it worth it? Depends how much tel work you do and, in part, whether looking like a phone guy is of any use to you.

 

[ultramegabob]

Buttsets are like master keys. If you are carrying an authentic-looking buttset with your tool pouch, someone from the customer's staff will recognize you as a phone guy and let you in pretty much anywhere, no questions asked. One thing is for sure, if you are seen carrying a $5 Chinese phone with bare wire leads dangling off, no one will mistake you for a phone repair guy.

Amusingly, Mike Sandman has items which are designed either to take advantage of being recognized as a phone guy, or to conceal your phone guy status, depending on which is to your advantage at the time.

Buttsets can also be equipped with cool features like insulation-piercing alligator clips, banjos, amplified hands-free speakerphone, digital caller-id, etc. One of the most useful accessories is a special clip for locking the lead to a BIX block or 66 block while doing something else with the hands.

Is it worth it? Depends how much tel work you do and, in part, whether looking like a phone guy is of any use to you.

thats pretty much what I was figguring, I would like to get something that looks a little more like a tool rather that just dragging around a cheap phone, I will probley just check on ebay for a used buttset for around 50 bucks, it should do what I need it to

 

[LarryFine]

One of the most useful accessories is a special clip for locking the lead to a BIX block or 66 block while doing something else with the hands.

Careful, now. This is a G-rated forum. :grin:

 

[smo]

I personally use the Fluke TS25D (http://www.stayonline.com/detail.aspx?ID=9714)

I think it is the only butt set worth the money. It is small and easy to keep in your tool bag, and is full of features I use almost every day as a LV guy.

MY favorite feature is that it will detect DSL on a phone line for you, which is usefull for burg/fire alarms. (Let's you know you need a DSL filter even if the customer failed to mention that they have DSL on the line)

(I know, SOMETIMES you can hear DSL on a line just by listening in, but not always.)



(You can even pull dialtone from a line with DSL, as it will use a built in DSL filter to let you talk)

It also has a built in toner, and will show you what digits are being dialed on the line while you are listening in. It also displays line voltage when on hook, line current when off hook, and will warn you before letting you barge in on a data line. It also has caller ID and speakerphone.

It's about the same price as the simple butt sets that just give you dialtone, but much more featured.

 

[macmikeman]

Where I used to use mine for is once in a great while my cell phone battery used to discharge and I would need to make a call. It is usually pretty easy to locate a phone demark box that is within easy reach and no dog in the yard. Makes a good emergency phone. But rendered useless by the phone charger adaptor for the vehicle.

 

[Rampage_Rick]

Buttsets are like master keys. If you are carrying an authentic-looking buttset with your tool pouch, someone from the customer's staff will recognize you as a phone guy and let you in pretty much anywhere, no questions asked.

....

Buttsets can also be equipped with cool features like insulation-piercing alligator clips, banjos, amplified hands-free speakerphone, digital caller-id, etc. One of the most useful accessories is a special clip for locking the lead to a BIX block or 66 block while doing something else with the hands.

Yup, even if you're carrying a toolbox you have to clip the buttset to your belt... 5 years ago I did a bunch of CPE installs for the banking-network DSL for a chain of supermarkets around here. Only one gave me any hassle about getting into the "special room" (which also happens to be where they count the money)

My personal set is a Harris TS44-DLX. Does most of those tricks except for the Caller-ID. The feature mine has that the TS22 doesn't is the data-safe. Firstly it has a built-in DSL filter so you can talk on a line without killing the internet. Secondly it has data protection, whereby it won't let you go off-hook on a data line, or an analog line with an open modem connection. It looks like the TS25D has all the same features, plus the purdy screen. Might be time to upgrade... :grin:

Ditto on the BIX clip. (I carry two)

 

[CHWflorida]

I see which brands and models some of you are using but I still don't know exactly what you use them for. I used to use one years ago just to find out what lines were at a certain jack. I would call a number and it tell me the number I was calling from. I never learned what it else it was good for. Maybe someone can add some more details.

 

[LarryFine]

I would call a number and it tell me the number I was calling from.

We had that here until about two years ago. It was 211. Now we just use the caller-ID on the cellphone to do the same thing.

 

[mdshunk]

We had that here until about two years ago. It was 211. Now we just use the caller-ID on the cellphone to do the same thing.

In Embarq areas, it's 311+2 digit month+2 digit year. They don't always update the code every month, so you need to type it in for some of the past months if it doesn't work. This feature is called ANI, I believe. Automatic Number Identification. Caller ID can be blocked. ANI always works.