atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums General General Telephone & Systems Information Butt set tutorial

Hey all -

Silversam, the man, hooked me up with a very nice butt set - and that ain't no sham.

He even hooked me up with some other data, which proves that if anything - he ain't no clam.

Well, that concludes today's rap session. So... anyway...

I searched around a bit, but there were too many hits to know where to start.

I'd always thought a butt set was nothing more than a telephone and keypad built into one handset... it seems I couldn't have been more wrong.

Can anyone direct me to a website, or a forum post, something like butt set 101?

Plus I won the meter Arthur pointed me to, so I've got lots of learning to do.

Thanks
Matt

I'd always thought a butt set was nothing more than a telephone and keypad built into one handset... it seems I couldn't have been more wrong.

Hate to burst your bubble but that's all it really is.

-Hal

There are different types and styles but basically that's it. It's learning how to test with it that makes it anything more.

My Harris TS22 will show the line polarity.
But like Bill said it's all the the person that's holding the thing that makes the difference.

In ONE word...."SKILL"

Did the set come with a manual? If not you might be able to find one at the manufacturer's web site. Some butt sets give more info than others, the one I use will show polarity, line voltage, off-hook current, and caller ID. Others may be nothing more than a phone with a pair of alligator clips.

There is no substitute for experience. Using Harris as an example, the TS19 is a basic set that can check polarity. The TS44 will do just about everything except wash dishes. If the person trying to use any piece of equipment doesn't know how to use the features or interpret the results, even the most advanced butt set (or anything else) is pretty much worthless.

Yes, these new Butt Sets are all nice and fancy.

But the best one I ever had was my old Black Rubber Bell System one.

I could connect to a vacant pair and determine if it was open on one side or nice and balanced, when looking for something to connect to from a cross connect.

I would think that you could do the same with the Harris TS-22, but not with the ears I have now.

I couldn't do it now with my old Bell System one either with these ears.

We used to use a butt set to almost like a meter. You could check output voltages on a power supply and (with a decent set of ears) not only tell if there was voltage being supplied, what the voltage was.

We would use a butt set as a jumper to see if connections were xconnected properly (connect points A&B with the test leads. Throw the Talk/Monitor switch and it connected A&B. Throw it off and the connection opened.

Like Merlinman said, Check a CO line for balancing and noise. (I've still got my old black rubber set. And the green Contempra style set too).


Matt - I think I have something somewhere about testing with a butt set. It is down in the dreaded basement though. Give me a day or two.

Try listening to the voltages on the power supply with the butt set. Listen to the difference between 10VAC & 18VAC & 24VDC 105VAC.

You'll be surprised at the difference.


Sam

I sent Matt a few paragraphs on using the "brown" meter. If anyone would like to read it, I'll send it privately, or if there's enough interest, I'll post it here. I didn't want to clog up the Forum if it wasn't of general interest.

In NYC (Manhattan, to be exact) where I worked as a repairmen, we weren't issued a meter. It was only the maintenance splicers ("Galvo") who had them. The model 1011 rubber butt set was all one needed to do basic tests. There is no aerial plant in Manhattan. All cable is either in manholes or inside buildings, and distances from the CO to the terminals are small, so the cables are relatively quiet, and shielded from inductive noise and power influence.

In areas where there was significant outside aerial plant, a butt set did not work as well in identifying faults, and a meter was necessary.

APB