Bachmann EZ DCC Controller Questions

[rbryce1]

I do not have one of the Bachmann EZ DCC Controllers, but a friend in our train club asked me some questions, some of which I am not sure of the answer.  He is starting to build a layout and is considering the EZ DCC Controller for his kids to use, but also runs trains on our Club's layout which uses NCE controllers.  His kids also run their trains on their friends layouts as well.

Question 1:  The controller has 10 buttons for locos, 9 of which are for DCC.  If you have a Loco with an address of 2234 and want to run it on the EZ controller, you need to assign a button to the loco.  If, say, you select button #4, does this reprogram the loco to now use an address of 4 and no longer an address of 2234?  My assumption is the decoder was just reprogrammed, and to use it as Loco 2234 on another layout, it would have to be reprogrammed again.

Question 2:  If you are running Loco 1 at 10% speed and then shift to loco 2 and take it up to 80% speed, then shift back to Loco 1, does it then jump right up to 80% speed or does it retain the 10% speed setting.  My assumption is, because there is only one speed control dial, and it appears not to be a digital control but an analog dial, the first loco would now use the speed dial setting wherever it is set at the time of the switch to the second loco.

[Jerrys HO]

Mr. Bryce,

Answer to question 1... If the loco is programmed to an address other than 1-9 it will have to be reassigned to to a single digit. I have purchased loco's with higher addresses and had to reset all of them.
Answer to question  2... If you switch to another loco and return to original the speed does not change. If you move the knob the original loco will respond to the higher or lower movement rather quickly. When I do this I try to note where original setting is on loco 1 and loco 2. Sounds difficult but it really is not. Running 3 or more may be harder.
If you are assuming the loco would take off like a rocket, no it will not.

Jerry

[Doneldon]

Question 2:  If you are running Loco 1 at 10% speed and then shift to loco 2 and take it up to 80% speed, then shift back to Loco 1, does it then jump right up to 80% speed or does it retain the 10% speed setting.  My assumption is, because there is only one speed control dial, and it appears not to be a digital control but an analog dial, the first loco would now use the speed dial setting wherever it is set at the time of the switch to the second loco.

rbryce-

Both locos will run at the speeds you set, the first at 10% power and the second at 80% power. The reason is that the speed controller in your hand doesn't actually control speed. Rather, it tells the decoders in the various DCC locos what speed to use. This is stored in the locos' decoders, not in the controller you are using.
                                                                                                                                                        -- D

[bapguy]

If the kids are going to be running 2 loco's at the same time, get a companion controller for it. as far as programming the loco's to a 2 digit address from a 4 digit address, I don't think the EZ DCC can do this. A 4 digit address has different values in CV29 than a 2 digit address has.  Joe