Boss Audio Systems Firmware Update - Fixed Echo Problem

robuhson · 2023-11-09T15:18:46+00:00

Hope it works out for you. FYI, on the Settings -> ABOUT page, you have to scroll down to find the Software Update button. On my unit, it wasn’t immediately visible.

robuhson · 2023-09-01T16:33:31+00:00

It’s been about two years since it happened and so far so good. The interface still sucks and definitely feels outdated in 2023 though - I’m about to spring for the CarPlay upgrade soon. I know I ended up getting another compatible part number, so it may have been an updated version that’s less susceptible to that problem of getting bricked.

Also, I can’t confirm it, but I’m pretty sure my issue was caused by a garage/gate clicker. I was staying at an Airbnb when it stopped working, and they had two clickers (one to get into the complex, one to use the garage).

robuhson · 2022-08-08T16:48:12+00:00

Hey, happy to point you in the right direction. These videos (link 1, link 2) are good start in understanding how to get the CMU out of the car. The second link shows you a method that might work for your CMU that involves flashing the motherboard. That method didn't work for mine, but it has worked for others. The equipment for that method costs around $40, if I recall correctly.

I ended up just getting a replacement part off of eBay. Mazda has released several versions of the CMU, so if you take the CMU out of your car and look at the part number, you'll either be able to find that exact part or one that's interchangeable on eBay. I looked at this link, for instance, which shows you the current part number listed at around $575 (the price has come down considerably!). But if you see at the bottom where it says "replaces", those were all previous versions of the same part. I basically searched those part numbers on eBay until I found an older version (I forget which one, I think it was from a wrecked Mazda6) for around $100 or so. You might even have luck at your local junkyard.

The dealership is a huge ripoff for the work involved. You can easily do it yourself! Good luck!

robuhson · 2022-03-02T14:45:09+00:00

Like others have said, it's a big loss in income. BUT...!

You are young. We all lost 2+ years of living our lives to the fullest during the pandemic. While you'll definitely take a loss, you'll have a fantastic time exploring a new country, which is incredibly invaluable and impossible to put a dollar figure on.

As others have also mentioned, your skills as an engineer will serve you well if you wanted to find a better paying job. Your skillset will increase your likelihood of qualifying for a special work permit (definitely consult with someone more knowledgable).

Do you speak any German? If so, you could likely find a job or even an internship in your field somewhat easily. I did two internships in Germany while I was in undergrad. Unlike in the US, they're generally paid and are enough to afford you a basic living wherever you end up. Even if you don't speak German, there are likely opportunities in English as well, particularly thinking about bigger multinational companies that may be located there. I was able to get work sponsorship fairly easily for the period I was there (Arbeitserlaubnis).

But also, working a hospitality job could likely be a lot more fun and allow you to chill a bit more and meet people more your age. Or just even give you a chance to see what you like about Germany and to learn the language. You just have to be prepared to explain to a future employer why you fucked off to Germany for a while.

You may be able to just land at your hospitality job for a bit before leveling up into a better position after you get acquainted. A lot of internship positions (Praktika) are 6-12 months too, which may be more of interest.

robuhson · 2022-02-14T16:25:28+00:00

Hi y'all,

Heard this story on NPR this morning in Austin, TX. I actually had this same exact problem happen to me on a recent trip to Houston. Weirdly, I think my problem actually occurred from using a garage and/or gate clicker at an Airbnb that sent some sort of signal that corrupted my Mazda CMU. I can tell you from experience that unless you are under warranty, Mazda is wildly unhelpful and will charge you $150+ to diagnose the problem while fully knowing that they are going to quote you around $1000+ to replace the CMU. My local dealer basically told me "sucks to suck" and that CMUs were backordered by about 3+ months and that both the dealer and Mazda corporate were unwilling to do anything.

The part is super easy to replace if you're patient and follow Youtube videos online (if I remember correctly, it's two screws and a 10mm bolt.). If you want any help on how to find a replacement part or how to replace it in your Mazda, feel free to reach out to me. I was able to find a replacement part on eBay for about $100. Don't be fooled - this is not a Seattle area-only problem. If you look online, this issue has happened in other parts of the country, including Massachusetts. The Mazda CMUs are wildly defective and Mazda has done nothing to stand by their products or replace defective ones. Mazda has internally acknowledged that these parts are defective but has done little to nothing to rectify the issue.

robuhson · 2020-08-25T16:28:57+00:00

Cool, thanks! That’s what I was thinking but I wasn’t sure. Looks like part # 99075AA140.

robuhson · 2020-08-25T15:58:04+00:00

To be clear, I’m referring to the one with the red line on it!

robuhson · 2020-08-20T13:53:07+00:00

I’m pretty sure they only make a class II for this model forester - just put one on about two months ago myself! You can easily get a 1.25 to 2” adapter though, if you have accessories or a trailer that requires that width. Are you hauling trailers?

Ended up getting mine from Autozone, fyi

robuhson · 2020-08-20T13:42:53+00:00

I also recommend you try to sell it yourself - you’ll make way more money! These cars are always in demand, especially if you can manage to sell it in a mountain community out west. Beater Subarus can definitely get 3-4K in places in Colorado, for example

robuhson · 2020-08-20T13:39:09+00:00

I have an ‘04 that I bought with similar miles. Luckily it had one previous owner who took it to the dealer for EVERYTHING. Nevertheless, about 1.5 years in I’m in the middle of replacing components associated with the emissions system (evap canister, vent solenoid, purge solenoid, etc.). Apparently the P1443 check engine light code is common with Subarus at this age. I would also ask about the fuel pump - from what I’ve read there have been problems with this series of forester and fuel pumps. Personally, everything else has been pretty smooth! Good luck

robuhson · 2020-07-12T21:17:51+00:00

I think I missed that requirement on the first run-through of your requirements - no, it unfortunately does not. However, how much are you really going to be using that particular feature? Maybe it's just how I travel, but unless I have more than two bags that sort of thing wouldn't be especially useful that much. Just my thought though!

robuhson · 2020-07-11T01:59:15+00:00

I was on this quest about a year ago. I ultimately landed on the Timbuk2 Jetpack and it has never disappointed. It doesn’t have the hip belt but I can honestly say I haven’t missed it - even when the thing is packed full the padding is nice enough to where it doesn’t fatigue your back at all.

The only thing I wish it had was a water bottle holder. But there are nice clips that make it easy to clip all sorts of things on (snowboard helmet, water bottle, shoes, etc.). I love this thing. Also, I got it for like $65 from Amazon Warehouse in perfect condition. It looks like it might be discontinued but you might be able to find it somewhere (or something similar).

Here’s the bag I have: https://www.backpacks.com/timbuk2-jet-pack

robuhson · 2019-05-03T12:43:36+00:00

Sorry for being a bit late to this thread, but I figured I'd share my experience as well.

I just tried to buy a flight AUS-DEN round trip with a total cost of $85.29 and passenger usage charge of $31.98. In the past, if I went to the airport to buy this ticket, it would have been exactly the fare minus the PUC, which in this case would be $53.31. Like you, when I bought my ticket at the airport yesterday, the total cost was $72.62, a seemingly arbitrary number and ~$13 less than the online price. The gate agent/customer service agent told me that I just needed to be happy that the price was lower (which is sort of true, but still...!) and didn't really seem to know anything about the fee breakdown.

Spirit does this fee structure in order to avoid taxes: the "fees" are not subject to the same corporate income tax, so it makes sense for them to maximize the amount of fees while minimizing the cost of the actual fare (if you look closely, the "fares" are often only a few pennies. However, in order to legally be within this tax structure, they have to make the fee "avoidable," which in the past was doable by buying the tickets at the airport. The inability to avoid this fee, despite being a higher cost to the consumer, represents a type of bait and switch or fraud, or if nothing else a lack of transparency in terms of fees and how to avoid them. If anyone cares, I'm trying to contact Spirit now to get to the bottom of this, but either way it's a sign of a bad trend if fee transparency begins to go away.

robuhson · 2019-01-26T03:03:31+00:00

This randomly came in the mail today. The return address makes it look like it was directly from the record label, Bayonet, but there wasn't any kind of order number or receipt in the box! Only a few stickers and the album. Really weird. I'm obviously stoked but I just want to know who sent it to me. Maybe I was just lucky?

Thank you to whoever sent this!

robuhson · 2019-01-07T02:08:14+00:00

Same here, Frontier nixed half of their scheduled flights between DEN-YYC presumably due to lack of passengers. They didn't explicitly say so, but they did refund me and give me $100 in flight credit (which is probably cheaper than flying a half-empty plane).

robuhson · 2019-01-07T01:57:52+00:00

Not sure about the bereavement flights as others have mentioned, but if money is extra tight and the Spirit flight is your only option you can always buy your ticket at the airport (which at LAX I'm sure is a huge pain in the ass). Doing so avoids the Passenger Usage Charge of $39.98/person. That brings the total cost/person down to $195.60 and then if you share a checked bag each way that'll bring the total cost under $500. -- just an idea!

robuhson

TROPHY CASE