ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade Voice - Data - Video Discussion Tool advice needed...

I'm getting weak in the knees and need to entirely back away from feeder pulls and grunt work.

I've only worked the alarm/data-com side of the street from time to time. I never had to tool up when I did.

So, I just don't have any data-com tools to speak of.

[exceptions for LSD wire pulling suite, signal toners,...]

I'd like anyone's list of basics (hand tools) that are worthy, brand names in particular.

How involved do you want to get?

I'd start off visiting the BICSI website and ordering their book. Then I'd arrange a week off to go to their first-level course. (Some places offer the course over two weekends).

If nothing else, the course will give you a real good idea of what you need, at which stage of the career.

I'd keep the Coax and Data tools in separate kits- I've never had to use both at the same time.

Ideal (sold on this site) sells a nice set of Coax tools, with a mechanics' bag of parts. It's a pretty good set-up. For Coax all you need is a stripper and a compression tool. Forget about the crimp connectors - they're obsolete. A can wrench is nice to have.

For data, tools are kind of brand-specific. They give strippers away as swag. Just add a punch-down tool with both #66 and #110 blades.

Progressive / Tempo have a great toner set (which you probably already have) and awesome buttsets. Don't want to buy a buttset right away? Get a cheap telephone and rig one up.

Fiber is another dedicated tool pouch, and I'm not really qualified to advise you there.

So, you have the toner...does your wire-pulling suite include fish-stix?

Punch-down tool...Fluke (formerly Harris, Dracon) D814 is still the standard, I suppose, with both 66 and 110 blades. In my home kit I have one from Ideal that has a spudger and hook that fold out of the handle.

For the times where you might need to crimp connectors onto phone or LAN cables, I have a crimper from Paladin, along with an old Paladin snap-n-seal tool for F compression connectors.

My butt-set is an old beat-up TS-21. You should have a good data-safe butt-set, but I haven't shopped for one in awhile.

There's a start...

Renosteinke gave you a better start than I did...he types faster than I do...

If you are going to crunch on the RJ plugs, don't cheap out on that tool.

Maybe checking out Ron Kipper Datacomm on YouTube will give you some ideas. I was a lucky winner on his meter give away and he often gives away returned test equipment. Tons of good videos on there!
Joe