lineman's handset

A lineman's handset, also called a test set or a butt set, is typically a very durable one-piece telephone that integrates an earpiece, a mouthpiece, and a dialing interface (originally a rotary dial, but now more commonly, a 12-button DTMF keypad). In addition to the basic features listed above, some test sets may include:

Speakerphone
Redial
Talk/Monitor modes
Mute
Flash
Tone/Pulse dialing via keypad
Filtering of data communications (such as DSL)

Butt sets typically connect to the telephone system via a pair of alligator clips that can include a piercing spike or a bed of nails to allow connecting to wires without stripping away the insulation. Lineman's handsets are used for installation and troubleshooting, and can hook into the phone system anywhere the lines are exposed, such as in a phone jack inside a customer's house, in the box where a home's phone wires connect to the telephone company's lines. One manufacturer of such handsets is Harris Dracon.

Lineman's Handset

See also: