My question is this, what kind of a test set should I get in order to
> reasonably perform all the testing I need. I'm sure a basic, entry
> level set like the TS19 from Harris would do what I need, but where I
> get confused is all of the data protection and data lockout features
> that the more advanced sets offer (everything from the TS20's to the
> TS44DLX). Are these features something I could really use, or
> perhapse are they not enough? Or are they for a telco technician who
> will be using it all the time, and coul= d potentially tie into some
> serious voltage on a lie that would make T1s look like child's play?
I use a 1950s vintage butt set with a rotary dial for most things. The telco techs usually make fun of it, but I have yet to find anything critical that I have needed to do where it wouldn't function. It's just fine for listening to T-1 circuits and trying to hear resynch issues.
The data lockout stuff will help you not screw up a data circuit if you accidentally come across one with the TALK switch on. Is that important to you?
Don't forget that you will also need a Fox and Hound set. If you work on T-1 circuits, you really need a T-1 BERT at least, and a full protocol analyzer is a nice thing to have.
No reason not to just get a cheap butt set, though.
What have you run into in your jobs that have turned out
> indispensable, or something you wish you'd gotten originally?
The Stanley push drill.
scott
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."