wiring-add on's

[unionpacific4]

 I have an ez command and am wondering:

   1.  If i don't buy any add on to the system, what more is there to offer besides decoders?

       (Define decoders as locomotive decoders.)

   2.  How can I animate and control scenes from my ez command? (Windmills, waterwheels...)

[Anonymous]

I have an EZ command. You can't program decoders and you can't read decoder values. You can only activate the first 10 "F" functions (F1, F2...F10). So if an engine blows its horn by pushing F2, you can do that. But you can't adjust the volume of the horn, for example.

If you want to do fairly advanced stuff like control switches, you need a more advanced system, like any of the others (Digi, NCE, Lenz etc). EZ command is easy, and inexpensive, but not good for advanced stuff however.

[loathar]

They're pretty basic systems. You can't run turnouts and signal systems with them. (or program CV's) The only add ons are a reverse loop circuit, an additional power booster, and a separate DC add on controller.(to free up your #10 button)

[unionpacific4]

What about the dynamis? Have you heard any news about that?

I saw the product review on it.

[loathar]

I saw that Dynamis but don't know if it has more features than the EZ command. It looks too bulky to use as a hand controller. For the amount of money they want for it, you can get a Prodigy Advanced or a Digitrax Zephyr. You can do just about anything you want with one of those.

[Gandy Dancer]

I have an ez command and am wondering:

2.  How can I animate and control scenes from my ez command? (Windmills, waterwheels...)

Connect them to the system via a decoder.  If you just want on-off and they don't draw more current than the decoder is rated use one of the function outputs. In fact, in this way one decoder could control several things by placing each one on a different function output. Once again check to be certain they are with in the power rating of the particular decoder.   If you want speed control or need a higher current output than the function outputs can provide use the motor outputs of the decoder.

In my opinon using DCC to control this sort of thing is WAY overkill, as none of those things need the independent control on the same circuit that DCC is designed to provide to locomotives.

[loathar]

I have an ez command and am wondering:

2.  How can I animate and control scenes from my ez command? (Windmills, waterwheels...)

Connect them to the system via a decoder.  If you just want on-off and they don't draw more current than the decoder is rated use one of the function outputs. In fact, in this way one decoder could control several things by placing each one on a different function output. Once again check to be certain they are with in the power rating of the particular decoder.   If you want speed control or need a higher current output than the function outputs can provide use the motor outputs of the decoder.

In my opinon using DCC to control this sort of thing is WAY overkill, as none of those things need the independent control on the same circuit that DCC is designed to provide to locomotives.

The bad thing with the EZ is you only have 9 available DCC addresses. So if you have 7 DCC locos, that only leaves 2 slots for accessories.
I found the site for that Dynamis
http://www.dynamisdcc.com/index.php?lang=en

It sounds like it's a real DCC system, but I still don't like the controller.