EZ command power booster

[tim2009]

Hi folks.  Thanks to this group, I am able to put together my first train set with a 9 by 5 layout.  I start out with the Digital Commander Ready set, expander set and the first railroad set.  I add in the DCC remote turnout and 2 more train with sound.  It run great and my kids are really happy.  I just order another train but I read that with 5 trains I need a power booster.  Is that correct?  It cost around 200 and more.  Is it a good investment?  Is it difficult to put it together with the Digital Commander?
Thanks in advance.

[Jerrys HO]

Tim,

You should not need a booster. I don't think you will run 5 trains at once,will you?
I found parking the engines in a siding with a switch to power off the siding help's reduce the power draw. I have run up to 4 loco's or more with my EZ Command with and without the booster. That was even with sound loco's.
If you opt to purchase one it is very simple to hook up.
I don't have any video's up but if you go to "Show us your layout" Balrog21 has plenty of vids to see without a booster.

Jerry

[richg]

I have tried running three separate trains and it is a challenge. You might not need the booster if everything is running ok.

Rich

[Pacific Northern]

I would advise that you forget about the booster. It is just too expensive.

For the same amount you could buy another starter DCC system with 2 to 3 times the amperage of the Bachmann Commander DCC  system. Any of the other DCC systems will allow you to access more DCC functions than the Bachmann Commander system.

On my Bachmann Commander unit I could only run two BLI sound engines at once, any more and the system could not cope. You could run more engines if they did not have sound and only DCC

[tim2009]

Thanks for all the advice and reply.  Pacific Northern, can you suggest which DCC system that will run with my current setup?  Is it still the Bachmann system?  In other word, can I use the new DCC with my current Digital Commander Ready set?

Thanks.

[Jerrys HO]

Tim,

Any DCC system will work with your set (NCE,Digitrax,Dynamis) to name a few.
Your EZ Command will run your current set up. I have almost 20 loco's sitting on my layout while most are sitting in dead sidings at least 5 or 6 or on the layout live.
I have been using the EZ Command to learn the basics for about 4 or 5 years now and I am just getting to the point where I would like to upgrade.
Upgrading does a few things that will benefit you. Along with providing more amperage, it also will let you set cv's to your liking and some not all will let you read cv's programmed to your decoder.
Once you decide to upgrade, your EZ Command will not be used but can be saved for future needs or sold to recoup some of your money.
To give you an idea of some differences and what an upgrade can provide, here is a link to two I have mentioned.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzRRCKpTjL4&feature=youtu.be

Jerry

[tim2009]

Thanks for the info and the link, Jerry.  I will look it up. 

[railtwister]

Thanks for all the advice and reply.  Pacific Northern, can you suggest which DCC system that will run with my current setup?  Is it still the Bachmann system?  In other word, can I use the new DCC with my current Digital Commander Ready set?

Thanks.

Hi Tim,

The EZ-Command is a good starter set, but it is somewhat limited in the amount it can grow with your layout as you gain DCC experience and decide you want to upgrade. As has been suggested here, I think you should hold off on your purchase of a booster for now,  there are better ways to spend that $200. For one person to run more than one train on a small layout can be quite a challenge, so you should be able to enjoy your present setup for quite a while without needing the extra booster, but should the time come, look at all your options before spending your hard earned cash. First shop around & look on the web, many dealers will offer discounts off of the list price. Also, you might look into other product lines that won't be as limited as the Digital Commander. I know of at least one large On30 modular club that uses the Bachmann system and is happy with it (but they don't run a lot of trains with multi-headed locos at the same time). It is not unusual for a modeler to think they have to buy a bigger DCC system than they really need.

Bill in FtL