EZ Command verses Dynamis Controller

[Ralph S]

Is the Dynamis controller getting a bad rap?
I performed a more in-depth search on the four models of EZ command controllers, I also did this for other manufacturers (not included here).   What I've concluded is that the EZ command (like everyone has been informing me) is a basic system.  Okay, great, I understand that based on the table below.  The controllers I have are the "discontinued" ones, or the catalog just doesn't list their model numbers.  The EZ Command Plus seems to have basically the same functions as my controllers.   

When I compare the Dynamis to the EZ Command there is a significant difference.  As one forum member indicated the Dynamis is a "Standard DCC system".  I take issue with that since, if you buy a "standard car" it will have four wheels, doors, and engine/motor, headlights, and maybe a radio.  The EZ command to me is that "Standard DCC system".  The Dynamis is an, for all practical purposes, an "Advance system".  Just like an "Enhanced Car" that has the standard features and also have GPS, Bluetooth, premier sound system, front and rear cameras, fancy keys for ignition, you get the picture.

So, in my travels around the US visiting the few model railroad clubs and asking questions about the controllers they use (of course, most know that answer) I'm still at a lost as to why the Dynamis isn't one of the controllers being used.

Dynamis vs EZ Command

|    select       |  E-Z Command  |     EZ Command      | Dynamis    | Dynamis Pro    |                     |  (discontinued) |       (Plus)                 |                   |           ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | Max number |         2                |          2                     |     1            |      128    |  of Cabs         |                          |                                 |                   | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | Max number |         2                |          2                     |     1            |     128    | of Addresses |                           |                                 |                   | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | 2 or 4 digit    |         2                |          2                     |     1            |    128    |  Addresses    |                           |                                 |                   | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | Consist          |       Max 3*         |            ?                   |     40          |      40    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |Speed Control|       Knob           |         Knob               |  Joystick     |  Joystick ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |  Current        |       1.0 Amp      |         1.0 Amp          |  2.5 Amp    | 4.0 Amp ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | Support for    |        Yes              |        Yes                   |     Yes         |    Yes    | Walkaround   |                           |                                 |                   | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | DC controller |        Yes              |        No                   |       ?         |     ?    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | Support for    |        Yes              |        Yes                   |     Yes         |    Yes    |Power Booster|                            |                                |                   | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | Support for    |        3 or 4          |       3 or 4               |    >4            |  >4  |Sound Decoder|      functions     |    functions             | functions    | functions ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | Accessory      |      Limited by     |     Limited by         |      ?             |    ?  | decoder         |       Current         |     Current              |                    | | Capability      |        capacity       |      capacity            |                    | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------                  | Number of     |        Max 10        |        10 or ?            | > 10            |  > 10  | CV functions  |      functions       |       functions         | functions    | functions ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------            | Wireless         |    No                   |        No                  |   Optional    |  Yes | Capability      |                            |                               |                     |  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------            | Computer      |        No                |        No                  |   Optional    |  Yes | Control          |                             |                               |                     |    | Capability      |                             |                               |                     |  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------            | Warranty       |       1 year           |         1 year             |    1 year       |  1 Year    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Notes:  ? -indicates ambiguous information, unable to definitively determine
            > -indicates varying information sources, but definitely greater than the number given
            *  -indicates my experience with EZ command with 3 locomotives
          --- -Based on the Bachmann 2024 catalog, the Basic EZ command (model 44932 & 44901)
                 were deemed discontinued, replaced by EZ Command Plus


References:
This forum search "Dynamis".
Programming Long addresses With EZ Command
Converting to DCC.
Model Train forums websites - several
U-Tube search on "Dynamis"
Google search via European Model trains by Bachmann

PS. If you are wondering why I'm traveling down this path.  I am worried that the Bachman company might give up on advancing their basic controllers.  The EZ plus maybe just a step away from becoming an advanced version of itself.  I don't want Bachmann to can (quit) that advancement like they did the Walk-around.   

All opinions/corrections/etc. welcome...
 

[trainman203]

I don't know about calling EZ Command a "standard" system, Ralph.  If you don't want to call it a training system I can understand that, but I myself think "economy" system might be a better term for such a stripped down system.  I'd think that what you call "advanced" is more akin to "standard" in the model railroad world as a whole since I suspect a lot more of them are powering DCC layouts than EZ Command.

None of this, of course is meant to denigrate EZ Command.  For what it is, it is very good, and got me past the DCC Intimidation Stage, which DCC can really do to a beginner.

[jward]

You asked for thoughts and comments.

I for one would like to see EZ COmmand evolve into something of a junior DYnamis, fully capable of being integrated into the main system if desired. As it stands you can't do this now. I feel it could be modified to provide much more functionality without sacrificing its simplicity. Other DCC manufacturers have done this, years ago. How much different would it be if acquiring a locomotive evolved from  "push a button 1 to 10" to "Push Loco key, and enter locomotive number, then LOCO again?" Because that is the difference between EZ COmmand and Digitrax Zephyr. EZ command has 10 possible addresses, Zephyr has almost 10k. I am using Zephyr for comparison because it is the system I am most familiar with. Others on the market are undoubtedly similar.

EZ COmmand vs Dynamis should not be an either/or decision. Rather Dynamis should be an upgrade of an existing EZ COmmand, or rather the two systems should be made compatable so that EZ Command could function as a throttle and/or booster in a Dynamis system. This is what others do. And the others are EZ Command's competition, not DYnamis.

[Terry Toenges]

I bought the E-Z Command Plus and went back to my standard E-Z Command. I didn't like the "infinite" throttle. I didn't care for the additional function stuff because I just like the simplicity. Others want more settings to play with. Once I  got it, I asked myself what else I wanted change and couldn't think of anything. I already have the separate little CV programmer that I use for the speed stuff.

[trainman203]

Yeh.  EZ Command is just the thing in certain settings.

[Ralph S]

I bought the E-Z Command Plus and went back to my standard E-Z Command. I didn't like the "infinite" throttle. I didn't care for the additional function stuff because I just like the simplicity.

This is good info.  I didn't know that the EZ plus uses an "infinite" type throttle.

EZ Command vs Dynamis should not be an either/or decision.

I agree wholeheartedly.  I'm still on the fence as to whether to purchase the Dynamis.  Mainly cause there isn't much of a review on this system from US users.  The European hobbyist seem to like the Dynamis from my research, but I'm not going to go into their likes or dislikes. 

When I moved to the EZ command it was a no brainer.  I being, what I call an "intermediate modeler", that is, not obsessed with functionality, but a stickler when it comes to layout details and having the obsession to change the layout on the fly unlike the more experienced modelers who do not make massive changes in their layouts.  The EZ command thus far, has been easy to make layout adjustments without a hassle. 
As Dr McCoy stated in Star Trek, "I know engineers, they're always changing things".  That's me, in a nutshell.  Having a fancier DCC controller where I'd only use its basic operations would, in my case, be overkill.  It would be like owning a Corvette, Porsche, or Ferrari and only driving it in rush-hour traffic.

Lastly, I thank all for your comments, keep'em coming.  This forum is still the best of the forums I read.

[jward]

When I first went DCC I did a cost/benefit analysis of existing systems at the time (2004.) EZ Command at the time came with a locomotive and was around $100, half the cost of the Digitrax Zephyr I ended up purchasing. It has since gone up in price to be only slightly cheaper than a new Zephyr. Dynamis seemed to me to be significantly more expensive than the other systems, which is why I didn't get one. At the time, I bought a DCC OnBOard locomotive for my son to run. I was impressed enough with it to take a second look at the rest of Bachmann's offerings. I was pleasantly surprised to find that they were at least as good as the Athearns I already had, and much easier to convert to DCC. While I don't have an exact number, I now own approximately 50 Bachmann locomotives.

[Ralph S]

Wow!  I know I'm an amateur in train modeling knowing that even with a ball park amount, 50 or more locomotives is way beyond my thought patterns.   I'm lucky to have 18 DCC loco's with 6 not by Bachmann.  I have 15 DC locos where 11 are not Bachmann, that is, Life-like, Tyco, Mantua, although they still work, they are all discontinued.  They are on my museum DC powered track.
There are 7 DC Bachmann's I want to convert to DCC, where 3 are MOW's.  This is where I run into a conundrum of either purchasing the Dynamis or purchasing the DCC decoders for the locos. I want to do both, but which to purchase first is where I'm at today.

[trainman203]

I also have around 50 locomotives. But I basically started Model Railroading in the year 2007 after being out for 41 years.  Everything I had from 41 years before was destroyed in a fire a few years before.  So I basically started over in the DCC era. I have three DC locomotives, but they are all on hold waiting for decoders.

Presently, I don't run diesel locomotives, i'm modeling the 1930s, but I have around 15 I bought over time to run at some future time on another layout. The reality of model railroading today is that nothing is available very long, nearly everything is limited run in comparison to the days of yore.  It's a good thing I bought those diesels because none of them are available anymore.

[jward]

Wow!  I know I'm an amateur in train modeling knowing that even with a ball park amount, 50 or more locomotives is way beyond my thought patterns.   I'm lucky to have 18 DCC loco's with 6 not by Bachmann.  I have 15 DC locos where 11 are not Bachmann, that is, Life-like, Tyco, Mantua, although they still work, they are all discontinued.  They are on my museum DC powered track.
There are 7 DC Bachmann's I want to convert to DCC, where 3 are MOW's.  This is where I run into a conundrum of either purchasing the Dynamis or purchasing the DCC decoders for the locos. I want to do both, but which to purchase first is where I'm at today.

I'd get the Dynamis and learn how to use it before I started converting locomotives to DCC. On older locomotives like the ones you describe, you'll have to hardwire the decoders, and you may have to completely rewire the locomotive in the process. It sounds like they are all low quality train set locomotives that were marginal performers on DC, and adding DCC isn't going to help them perform better. Locomotives like this have a single power truck, and traction tires on some of the wheels. The diesels will pick up power on only 4 wheels, two for each rail. DCC requires much better electrical contact to avoid problems, and these locomotives will not have it. Can they be converted? Sure. Just about anything can be converted to DCC. There are tutorials on the various DCC manufacturers website and you tube on how to convert almost anything to DCC. Will it be worth it? Only you can decide. To me, converting a Tyco using the existing drive has too many drawbacks. But me being a huge fan of the Alco locomotives I grew up around, I am currently in the process of rebuilding a Tyco C630 with DCC and a Hobbytown chassis. To me, after considering all my options, this seemed to be the one most likely to result in the locomotive I want.

[Len]

Moving shells from older, custom decorated or hard to find, locos to modern chassis is almost a hobby in itself.

Len

[trainman203]

I received a nicely custom decaled older Bachmann consolidation along with a bunch of other stuff I bought last year. The mechanism had been taken apart and we assembled badly and could not be repaired to operating condition.

 I just put the boiler shell on a new Bachmann mechanism and the tender shell on a new tender floor with a sound decoder.

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