Am I wasting my money?

[reicherb]

I think I'm going to purchase a cheap cable tester and tone generator. I know I won't be able to certify drops but I think this should help me track down miss labeled drops and do some small amount of troubleshooting.

What do you guys think? I'm looking at this toner and probe and this cable tester. Has anybody ever used either of these?

Thanks.

 

[reicherb]

bump

 

[Rallispec]

havnet used either but i'm looking to get a tester as well. I dont think its a waste of money.. there have been a few times where i've really wanted one.

 

[Utterman]

If you do a lot of cable installing or troubleshooting, then IMO it's well worth it. The tone generator is really helpfull when you are tracking down a wire through walls. So if you are wanting to get into installing cable, then they are a really good investment.

 

[LANMAN]

I don't know if you have seen the tools at Jensen Tools, but I bought a wavetech CAT5 tester and a toner from them in the past. Great service and high quality products.

Sure wish I could afford the Fluke stuff though. (my .02)

Hope this helps.

--LANMAN

 

[JustinLerner]

There are many good brands. Equipment varies in price and function.

HP (Agilent), Fluke, Tektronix, Microtest, Datacom, Wavetek, BK Precision, Ideal, Harris

 

[JustinLerner]

Progressive is decent.

For durable toners, I would be more inclined to go with Ideal or Harris, but they are more expensive. I can't tell you how many telecom techs I've seen with newer toners that don't last very long.

If you treat your equipment well, it should last. Even then, sometimes the unexpected happens in working environments and rugged equipment is nice.