Recieved my HO BLI SW-7 Switcher, DCC and Sound yesterday and the Bachmann EZ Command today. While I don’t have track laid yet, I set some up to run it. SWEET as can be!! Love the sounds!!!
F6 for the sounds, functions F1 and F2 for the bell and horn Beautiful!!! But my question is when its just sitting there in neutral, how do you turn off the engine. It says Function F9 I believe but it dosen’t seem to work. Any ideas?
Thanks, DON
Repost in the DCC forum!!
EZ command fnctions only go up to 8 (F0-F8), and dos not have function 9
If you know some one with a bigger system,digitrax/nce… they can remap function 9 to button 4 or 5, blowers and shutters, hardly noticable sounds, and then you can operate shutdown.
Don,
You just hit your first limitation with the E-Z Command. You can mute the sound of your locomotive with F8 but you can’t put the QSI decoder in shut down or sleep mode (F9). The E-Z Command only has sound functions F1-F8.
Tom
as does the Zephyr, unless a DT 400 or UT 4 is connected to it. Only then do you have F9-F12.
As I said before, have your LHS or somebody local who can change the CVs for you move function 9 to function 4. it will take them all of about thirty seconds.
…we warned ya.
David B
That brings up a question I was going to ask. Can you set a locos CV’s on a better system and have them remain when you put the loco back on your Bach EZ system? Or will they reset to a Bach default setting? Or won’t it recognize the change in CV’s?
The new settings will be retained in the decoder, hence the suggestion to remap the function buttons on a more advanced system. The EZCommand will not reset anything on it’s own.
Thanks for the comments. read the manual some more. Your right. Yes, F 9 won’t shut it down. I guess I will just put it on a siding and mute it if I run something else. I also wish there was a on/off power button on the Command Station so I wouldn’t have to unplug the power unit from the wall. But the Bachmann is what it is and I knew this going in.
But for what I am using it for, a small 2’ X 8’ HO shelf layout, keeping it simple, its still, I think perfect. Even leaving it sit there on a siding in neutral while I run another engine I think is cool. The sound blows me away.
DON
Don,
You can always plug your E-Z Command into a power strip/surge protector then use that to turn your E-Z Command on and off. That’s what I do on my layout. (My Power Cab doesn’t have an on/off switch on it either.) It’s also a good way to protect your equipment and decoders from any unwanted or errant power spikes.
Tom
EVERY electronic device except a computer should be plugged into a surge protector.
A computer should be plugged into an uninterruptible power supply.
That’s what I do on mine. Thay way I can turn all my power suppies off with the click of a switch. As for a surge protector, my trailers entire electrical system is on a whole house surge protector. They’re well worth the money.
I use those too. They are very helpful because I use 3 controllers. 1.Zephyr-Track DCC 2. Lights-MRC 1300 3. Spectrum Magnum- Turntable & switches.
Your right TOM. Thats what I had on my other layouts. Surge Protectors and a great way to turn the power supply off and on.
While I think of it, another question on the Bac EZ DCC. I tried to change the buttons for the direction the train travels following the directions in the Bachmann manual. No luck! Is that my second limitation ? LOL
Thanks, DON
Don,
Nope. You should be able to change directions on the fly with the E-Z Command.
It may be that the yellow function button was activated somehow when you were trying to change directions last time. Make sure there are NO red flashing LEDs when you attempt it again. (That’s always the first thing to check when something like that doesn’t work.)
Course, it never happened to me when I had one…[:-^]
Tom
TOM the manual says that I can reprogram the direction buttons. In otherwards, if the right button is for reverse, it says that I can reprogram it for forward. Tried it and it didn’t work? any ideas? I like forward to be the right button in stead of reverse!
Thanks, DON
Don,
It’s been awhile since I’ve run a E-Z Command so I had to download the manual in order to read up on programming direction of running.
Don, when you follow Steps 1-3, does the Power LED flash quickly? If memory serves me correctly, you have to let go of both the STOP button and locomotive’s address button simultaneously. If the Power LED does NOT flash quickly, you haven’t performed Step 3 correctly.
My guess is that you’ll probably have to do that for each locomotive you run with your E-Z Command in that direction.
Tom