Shoptask Z-axis - quadralift?

This is addressed to those who have CNC'd Shoptask machines.

Do you have the quadralift or equivalent on your machines,
or do you make do with the 3" or so of Z travel that the
quill provides?

If you have a lift of some type, how does the CNC control
know when you move it? For instance, suppose you start with
a short end mill in a collet. The head is fairly low. Then
you change to a 17/32 drill bit in a jacobs chuck, and need
to raise the head by 6" to make the tool change. Do you have
to touch off each tool after the change, or is there some
way that the control can do it automagically?

I am considering a lift for my machine. I want to mount an
encoder on the lift axis so the control knows how high the
head is. The lift will NOT be under CNC control, it will
either be hand-cranked, or motor operated with a simple
up/down switch. It will NOT move while cutting. I know
that the mechanical and electronic aspects of this are
doable. Will the software (EMC) be able to make use of
the encoder data?

John Kasunich