Bachman e-z command

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Has anybody used the Bachman E-Z Command DCC system. I have a 14 x 11 around the walls layout so would 1 amp. of power be enough. I would only be running 2-3 trains at a time. If anyone has one has been a pretty good unit to start with.

Thanks Billy

2

I’ve been using one for about a year now. If you’re just going to be running 2 or 3 trains it’ll work for you. Be aware that it’s a very limited system. All you can set with is the loco addresses, controlling the loco headlight and setting the loco direction. If you have locos with sound it can control 8 sound functions. It can do loco consisting but can’t set CV’s.

3

Billy,

Even with only 1-amp, the E-Z Command will run 2-3 locomotives. I assume you are running HO scale?

I bought one in early 2005 for $53 and used it for a year on my 4 x 8. It has access to 8 sound functions (F1-F8) plus lights. The downside to the E-Z Command is that it will not allow you to adjust or tweak CVs (configuration variables).

If money isn’t an issue, I’d probably go with a nicer starter system like the Digitrax Zephyr or the NCE Power Cab. I just wanted to get my feet wet with DCC so I initially chose the E-Z Command before switching to the Power Cab a year later.

It’s a nice, simple, no-frills DCC system for what it does.

Tom

4

This comes up regularly.

That control system is good for a oval floor trainset. You cannot do much with it as others have stated.

Once you learn why the choo choo wont do something and learn how to fix a CV to make it do something… you are already into a Digitrax or a NCE system.

5

Thanks for the reply. Does e-z command control speed.

Billy

6

They work well for a basic system. 2-3 locos OK. If you have any old open frame motor engines, these will draw a lot more amps so you might only be able to run 1-2 at a time. It’s nice not having to turn blocks on and off. It’s enough to get you hooked!

Speed-Yes. You can run basic consists. Turn lights on and off. Control speed and I believe some basic sound control too. (don’t quote me on the sound functions)

7

I look at it this way, it’s kind of a one-trick-pony, but it does exactly what it’s promised to do. In my book, that’s a winner. I had one and found it to be a great way to start off in DCC.

8

He doesn’t want to make his choo choo go to the moon, and EZ will work on a point to point layout also.

9

Yes. That’s what the big knob in the middle of the throttle is for. Here’s a quick run down on what the E-Z Command can do:

  • 1-amp max. output (2-3 newer locomotives/1-2 older locomotives)

  • Speed knob

  • Emergency stop button

  • 9 DCC addresses (buttons 1-9); 1 DC address (button 10)

  • Direction buttons (forward/reverse)

  • 8 sound functions (F1-F8)

  • Lights on/off (F10)

My 4 x 8 had a single continuous mainline, small yard, and dual servicing tracks. The E-Z Command had no trouble power them all.

Tom

10

Billy 21, T-Stage sold me his old Bachman E-Z comand and I am running it now. It has it limts and it advanges! (spell check) When I go to my local hobby shop (K-10 trains in Maryville IL) they run a Super Cheif. I watch people there fiddle with buttons to make there engines run. With a more advances system you can push the wrong button and stuff goes to H-LL in a hand basket. With the E-Z you cannot push the wrong button which to me is a big plus!

But, you cannot control all the fuctions that a DCC engine has like start up speed. 1 AMP power supply did great when I was runing one line DC and other line DCC with the Bachmann. Could run 4 sound BLI engine with no problems. Then I went fully DCC that added around another 200 feet of track. That is when I ran into lack of power.

Main thing that had keept me from going with a Digtrax Zepher was the 2.5 amp power supply! What if that was to little power? Answer was a MRC Power Station 8 booster that had 8 amps of power for $120.00. It will work with any DCC system and will power my highest draw open frame engines with no poblem. Next year I will up grade to a zepher and know I have the power anything I want to run.

Started to ramble but bottom line the E-Z for around $60.00 on E-bay is a great start. There is a reason they call it E-Z because it is.

Cuda Ken

11

It works as a basic throttle, controlling the locos speed on 28/128 speed steps. However, it can’t speed match two locos. That has to be done in CV configuration of the starting voltage, acceleration and deceleration. The EZ-Command can’t do that.

12

Oh, the “Zephyr only puts out 2.5 amps and that isnt enough myth”. All modern locomotives that are produced today only draw between 0.02 to 0.04 amps even with sound (confirmed with my instore-RRampMeter V2). Old Athearns pull 0.4 to 0.5 amps and Bowsers can pull in excess of a full amp. So you can see that you will easily eclipse the 10 loco limit with the Zephyr before you run out of juice with modern equiptment.

That being said, you are stuck at 2.5 amps with the Zephyr. The MRC 8 amp power supply will NOT work with ANY DCC system as it wont work with the Zephyr. If you want to go beyond the 2.5 amps (because you love to triple-head Bowser Big Boys), then you will need to Daisy-chain a booster to the system (db150 and the like). That will put you up to 5 amps for the system and allow you to run a total of 32 locos at once.

David B

13

The MRC Power Station 8 is not just a power supply, but a booster. It is designed to work with ANY DCC system by using the track outputs of the command station as the DCC signal input to the booster.

14

I agree the EZ is EZ. I bought one to try DCC as I have 16 DCC equipped loco’s. Been running DC since I was a kid 30+years. I set it up with a switch to either use DC for my 140 other non DCC engines or flip it over to DCC. Worked great! I wrote all the engine numbers in the paper card next to the buttons and than realized I needed to pick my 8 favorite engines or reprogram the buttons everytime I wanted to change loco’s. Not to big of an issue. I never run more than 3 at a time but keep about 8 or 10 on the track. Next I tried a sound engine, worked great, BUT left one engine in shut down with my Atlas Quantum Engineer and thats when I realized the limits of the system. F0-F8 are great but start up and shutdown are contained in F9-F12. Oh well went back to DC about 3 months later. Now I will put my EZ on E-bay and will ask for a digitrax system for christmas. Hope this helps. Joe

15

Go for a dcc system like the zephyr… thats what i use. the e-z command is TOO ez. Can’t change CV’s!!! (Which is the FIRST thing i do when i put in a decoder in my loco). Cv’s are very important in dcc. Sometimes dcc decoders get rattled in shipping, and your new engine wont work properly… you need to write 8 into cv 8 to re-set it…wont work with the ez command… you will out grow it too fast to be worth the $$$$

16

Jefferuy. I have the e-z as well. Do you use the 5 amp booster or have you heard anything about it. I will have about 12 engines running dcc but probably 2-3 at one time. Do you use the ez decoder or something better. Does the ez decoder support sound or no?

thanks

rs2mike

17

Here is an idea for someone who’s thinking E-Z Command. Consider the Atlas Commander. They are a little hard to find now (no longer manufactured) but I’ve seen them for as little as $50 on E-Bay (new in the box). My thinking is that the E-Z Command is basically a throw-away when you want to expand, but the Commander is totally useable should you expand to a Lenz system. Or, at least the power supply (Atlas Generator) can be used to power other things, like switch machines on any system.

The Commander offers:

  • 2.5 amps
  • 5 Functions (F0-F4)
  • Knob speed control
  • Two digit loco addressing
  • Programing (Progaming track only)
  • Consisting
  • Turnout control
  • And, for about $60 you can add a wireless walk-around throttle.
  • For a lot more money, you could add a CVP radio throttle.
  • For expansion to Lenz, the Commander becomes an extra throttle and the Generator a power supply for accessories.

One problem is for sound units because you don’t have function F8 to mute the sound. If you use only MRC sound decoders you could mute using a double tap of F0. If you run non-sound the Commander would be perfect, and it gives you lots of power for running many locos and some pretty good features to boot.

If I were just starting out I would definitely go this route instead of the Bachmann.

18

I have the basic EZ-Command system. A few months ago I picked up a Bachmann 5 amp booster for $90, considerably less than the $250 that Bachmann wants for it. It comes in handy when I’m running several high draw locos that would overrun the basic 1 amp supply. Other than that, I don’t use the booster very much. The Bachman decoders that I have experience with DO NOT have sound functions. I haven’t looked into their new ones yet.

19

Did anyone notice the new EZ command Dynamis on page 27 of the DEC. MR ? wireless IR remote etc etc. But $300.00 , not to sure about this one.

20

Jerry,

I think the difference between the E-Z Command and the Dynamis is gonna be night and day. The Dynamis is somewhat similar to the Euro-design of the ESU ECos DCC system:

I’ll look forward to seeing how well it does.

Tom