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Messages - trainman203

#1
You may have a voltage drop problem, either within the track itself being loose in places or with the power source.  It doesn't take much power to light up the headlight, it'll come on before the motor moves in many cases.  So the headlight might only say that something is there, not how good it is.  Get a multimeter somewhere and get a reading on your track.  My DCC system delivers between 13 and 14 Volts, apparently some others vary somewhat.
#2
As much trouble as that thing has caused you, you should consider calling the Bachmann Service department and see if they'll work on it for you, or even better, replace it with a similar one. 
#4
General Discussion / Re: Comments please
Today at 04:28:00 PM
You can but you have to wire it seperately .  Dr. Google has multiple versions of how to do it.
#5
General Discussion / Comments please
May 14, 2024, 11:27:20 AM
https://www.rmweb.co.uk/forums/topic/185708-kader-reduces-its-losses/

1.  I hope that the Bach Man Gets to keep his job.
2.  I hope that steam locomotives don't get cut from the catalog.
#6
HO / Re: Couplings
May 12, 2024, 08:59:09 PM
Make the track level.  You'll never have level track on carpet. Put the track on the table or a piece of plywood.

  Carpet is terrible for Trains.  Inevitably, little fibers will get into every moving part of the Train.  The locomotive mechanism, the wheels, couplers, Everything.
#7
The two words on eBay that make me smell a rat are "rare" and "vintage."
#8
General Discussion / Re: Converting to DCC.
May 11, 2024, 10:00:02 PM
I stated the same in some other post.
#9
HO / Re: Speed Matching
May 11, 2024, 04:23:38 PM
"Consist" joins the list of bygone Railroading terms that includes the term "switch" that have changed meaning in recent times. 

Or disappeared, like "bindle stiff," "ashcat", "ballast scorcher", "hogger," and such.
#10
If you like playing with a train, a limited function system is fine.

If you really want to more closely approximate real railroad operations, you need more.

I don't think it can be put more simply than that.
#11
There's no such thing as gold with train set trains.  Unless they are from the early 1950's or earlier.  The myth persists that all old trains are solid gold.
#12
Ok. No dancing.  EZ command can't support addresses above 9, or maybe 10, can't remember.  It can't modify control values (CV's).  It can't perform functions above 0.

None of these are negatives when EZ command is viewed in the light of what it's intended to be - the DCC version of the old transformers that came with the AC train sets of decades ago or the power packs that came with HO train sets in more recent times. It lets you stop and start the train, blow the whistle, ring the bell and work another sound or two, just very basic sounds much fewer than real trains really make, but enough to satisfy someone's interest that doesn't go beyond basic train set play.

If you want more than that, you have to get a more advanced DCC system.  I have to say that DCC really intimidated me at first.  I bought a full-blown system and left it in the box for a year, reluctant to fool with it.  Then, I finally opened it up and read the instructions for setting up and they gave the best advice I ever got for that stuff.  Which was to first set the new DCC up to just a loop of track separate from the layout and use that to learn for a couple of weeks before you change your layout over to DCC.  I did that, Changed a couple of CVs like the Whistle.  And a whole new wonderful universe opened up.  Never looked back, gave the EZ command to a kid who was just starting, that was the best thing to do with it.  That was maybe 15 years ago now.  I would not call myself a DCC guru, but I probably know how to set up a DCC steam locomotive better than anyone in the immediate Gulf coast area.  There's nothing like it. 

The big thing now is Bluetooth Control from your phone instead of a handheld cab.  I'm receiving five locomotives today in the mail that had such decoders installed by a professional. The next week is going to be spent getting up to speed with that. One advantage to of Bluetooth control is that you don't need a cab to run the engine, you can run your engine on anyone's DC layout using your iPhone as the cab. Regardless of the brand of the system, your phone will run the train, You don't need to bring your own cab with you.  Another advantage which I'm aware of, but need to learn how to manipulate, is extremely simplified Control of CV Modification.

But like an old man I digress. If you are at the point that you want longer extended addresses, You need to move on from EZ command.
#13
HO / Re: Speed Matching
May 07, 2024, 06:16:15 PM
A murky term that's become more so in recent times.
#14
HO / Re: Speed Matching
May 05, 2024, 06:17:40 PM
So then, "consist" means "everything" in the train? All locomotives AND cars?
#15
General Discussion / Re: Converting to DCC.
May 05, 2024, 09:12:35 AM
Can't do any of that on EZ command.  It is a train set unit, designed to at least open the door to DCC and sound for train sets. 

The customizing of CV settings is a more advanced Model Railroad process.  Most train set people don't want to fool with that or don't even know about it. So Bachmann has properly produced a unit that provides just enough DCC features to please them, allowing basic sound and some basic functions. 

EZ command is basically DCC training wheels.  At some point you'll want to take them off and get a big boy bike.  It took me a year to do that.  EZ command was great for a while, but it finally got old.  When I did get a full DCC system, it was akin to seeing the universe for the first time through the Hubble telescope.