Ken / Hunt,
It's true - I went cheap thinking that all I need is train control and nothing else.  The next solution is getting on for double the price, but I'm seeing that the benefits are maybe there.

So I'm going to return the EZ.  I might try DCC again next winter, but for now I'll stick to DC.  My layout is pretty mature, 1980's British Rail, with two intersecting loops, combination of Atlas track and Peco points (which short out the DCC on the frog, but I understand why and the fix).  All the loco's are UK outline Graham Farish (although I live in the US).

I did want to control more than one loco at the same time, so I dipped my toe in the water with the Bachmann.  I think Bachmanns statement "28/128 speed steps for smooth operation" is a bit misleading considering it's being aimed new users of DCC, but hey.  When I try DCC next time round it won't be a Bachmann for that reason.

Thanks all for your help and advice.
/Andy

Well, I called Bachmann tech support, and Rodney was pretty helpful.  He says that to get 128 speed steps from the EZ Command you need to have the decoder programmed to that.  Of course, the EZ can't do that, but the local store tells me they'll do it for $15 per loco.  That sounds like pure profit to me, but hey - it's cheaper than returning it (for now) 

All feels a bit suspicious to me to be honest.  The DZ125 paperwork suggests it defaults to 128 anyway, so it seems a bit odd that it needs to be programmed as such.  Why would the decorder be delivered as 28 steps and need to be reprogramed to it's listed spec...

I wanted to try DCC on my layout but don't have much budget.  Spending $15 to at least correct the problem won't break that bank though.  Here we go.

If that's true, then it has to be the most blatant piece of false packaging I've ever seen, unless I'm totally missing something here.

The box says "28/128 Speed Step Control" no less than three times.

The manual states, in the very first paragraph: "Other features include 28/128 speed steps for smooth operation and plug-in wiring for simple set up". 

Surely that would be rather blatant if it was a complete lie.  But then, my loco is clearly only running at 28 speeds steps, so what gives?

I took photo's of the box and manual but this forum does not seem to be allowing me to upload.  So I put them here:

www.tcpack746.com/images/P10003302.jpg
www.tcpack746.com/images/P1000331.JPG

Hope that's not the case.  Amazon states 28/128 speed step control for it, and actually the outside of the bachmann box says the same thing - "28/128 Speed Step Control".  My decoder  also says "128 Speed Step operation (14 or 28 steps can also be used)".

My first foray into DCC, and it's not going well.  Hoping and praying somebody can help.

I've got a new Bachmann EZ Command, running a new DZ125 on a Graham Farish (the UK Bachmann) Diesel loco.  I've connected it all up, assigned to address 1 and it works, but the speed steps are terrible.  Smooth while in a certain speed step, but big jumps in between.

Digitrax and Bachmann both advertise that the devices are good for 128, but my feeling is that it's 28 at best.  How do I get smooth acceleration from this set up?