WAHOOOOOO I'm PHAT!

[Zero Cool]

I Did it, it works and it was DAMN easy to do!

I purchased an Audi Phatbox from a local vendor.

I Installed the Phatnoise software on my PC and then Plugged in the cradle once the software was loaded. I then plugged in the DMS Cartridge and allowed the software to run. I loaded some songs and made some test albums on the DMS just to figure out how the software works etc.

Now here is the good part. I then downloaded these two files:

http://downloads.phathack.com/sbingner/MZPHATSYS.zip

http://downloads.phathack.com/sbingner/MazdaUpdate.zip (Needed only for 2006 models)

I then Unzipped each file to the PHTSYS Partition on the DMS cartridge and selected YES TO ALL when it asked if i wanted to overwrite the files.

I then created a blank text file and saved it as forcesettings. I then renamed the file as just "forcesettings" deleting the .txt file extention. it should be 0kB when your done. i then saved that file to the same PHTSYS partition.

Then, make sure you close all widows before saving and ejecting the disk through the PMM software.

Insert the DMS cart into your phatbox. Connect the phatbox cable only to your radio. then plug the cable into the Phatbox, you will notice right away that the red light comes on and the green light starts flashing even without a key in the ignition.

Wait, and be patient, this takes a while, at one point the lights all go off and the PB reboots itself, turn the key to on and press CD twice to get to EX, once the PB has rebooted all the way, the Phatnoise startup sound plays (most likley already playing when you press CD twice).

And walla, thats it SCREW YOU PHATNOISE for being jerks about it! You can buy an AUDI Phatbox for well under $200.00 and have it in your Mazda today!


I will be permanantly installing it this weekend!


For anyone that wants to do this for yourselfs, feel free to contact me and i will be glad to walk you through it!


Zc

P.S. An extra special thank you to everyone at Phathack.com for making this possible. Please consider dropping them a few bucks to keep there sight running if you should do this! I will!

 

[scuzzy19]

Nice job ZC post some pics when you are done with the install

 

[Insurance Guy]

Zero - can you give me a Cliffs' Notes version of why installing in a Mazda is such a problem? It looks like the sell a Phatbox just for Mazda.

I'm curious because 1) this is the first time I've ever heard of a Phatbox, and 2) I'll definitely be putting one in my new MS3.

 

[Zero Cool]

Well,

The only problem is the $750.00 price tag Mazda sells the Phatboxes for! Thats stupid when you can buy the exact same Audi phatbox for under $200.00!!! the ONLY difference is what firmware you have. thats it.

You can buy a brand new Phatbox from Mikan Motors on ebay for $169.00 plus shipping. then you will need the Mazda Phatbox install kit from Mazda thats about $34.00 then just change the firmware and plug the Phatbox in and your good to go! I just saved myself $550.00!

And if you read over the Phathack.com website, you will see that it is now possible to upgrade the phatboxes to 160gb! yup thats right 160gb!

I have both an iPod and now the PB, I have only tested the PB at this point and havent had a chance to permanantly mount the PB in place. But, at first test, the PB definitly had a learning curve to how it works. Navigating with Voice prompts is a bit slow. My iPod is much faster, but harder to do while driving.
I would be curious how well the iPod to factory car stereo adapters work. if it is easier to navigate then the PB?

All hack devolopment work on the PB's has all but stopped. too bad as i feel there is a lot more available from this box.

AND, if you remove the PB circuit board, it will fit in the tape compartment of the radio! Lots of work to fabricate mounts and such but how cool would it be to plug a DMS cart right into the face of your car stereo! I just wish i could cleanly cut the plastic so that it looks good. But im working on it.


Zc

 

[icspots]

Probably something I'll never get, but really for less than $200...... maybe someday. right now I have a 1Gb card in my palm pilot, and my wife just got a 30Gb Mp3 player.

Putting the cartridge straight into the HU would be awesome. For cutting the plastic... a dremel will work fine, just make sure you have it on a slow speed so you're actually cutting the plastic vs. melting it on high speed. You might even be able to find some kind of trim stuff to stick around the hole you cut to make it look nicer. Maybe something from a hardware store. Hmmmm?

 

[Zero Cool]

Ok so i finally got around to doing an extensive bench test of the phatbox. No i havent installed it yet.....

I have an 04 and a 06 HU here and i have the PB flashed with the mazda firmware and the 06 patch and the unit works great on both head units. I am running the 04 HU currently on the bench with it as the 06 display doesnt function when it is not in the car. but the 04 does as it plugs into the radio directly.

So far it has been running for over an hour and it works fantastic. little clumsey in how you navigate it. but once you learn the modes everything is cool.

One thing i did notice is when power is first applied. the PB lights up, then reboots. i need to check the DMS cart and make sure the Forceupdate and Forcesettings files have been removed. If there there. then that is why it is rebooting.

But....I have been using my iPod in the car for a while now and well....i like how east and fast it is to use. It does require looking at the screen when navigating the controls. but i am wondering how well the ipod would work with one of those HU adapaters. The iPod is defnitly smaller then the PB and less of a PITA to mount/hide. BUT, the PB has the capability of installing up to a 120 gig drive and a 160 is in the works so....Do i need that much? not currently but maybe if i rip my CD's in wav format instead of MP3 for better sound quality.

And i am wondering how well the PB will do when it is -30 outside. living in MN has its disadvantages many times. an iPod may be a better solution for winter time use......hmmmm decisions decisions....



Zc

 

[goldfish]

I don't think you would be able to tell the sound difference between wav and mp3 in your car unless the mp3s were really super horrible bit rates to begin with. I encode my mp3s at variable rates that are allowed to go to some very high bit rate if it is necessary. I'ved played mp3 cds and the normal cd together and can't tell the two apart.

With some very very high quality sound equipment maybe, but if you are using wav or mp3 as the deciding factor then obviously the phatbox would be best if you went with wav. But it would make more sense to stay with mp3 and go from there as to what works better for you.

I think the ipod would be cool if you already have one and have a use for one other than your car. The ipod needs to be easily accessable for you to change tracks, right? So someone eventually will see it and maybe want to yoink it. The phatbox sounds much more concealed and utilizes stock controls too, yeah?

I'd go with the phatbox, but I also am not looking at doing it for a while due to money constraints

 

[icspots]

I don't think you would be able to tell the sound difference between wav and mp3 in your car unless the mp3s were really super horrible bit rates to begin with. I encode my mp3s at variable rates that are allowed to go to some very high bit rate if it is necessary. I'ved played mp3 cds and the normal cd together and can't tell the two apart.

With some very very high quality sound equipment maybe, but if you are using wav or mp3 as the deciding factor then obviously the phatbox would be best if you went with wav. But it would make more sense to stay with mp3 and go from there as to what works better for you.

I think the ipod would be cool if you already have one and have a use for one other than your car. The ipod needs to be easily accessable for you to change tracks, right? So someone eventually will see it and maybe want to yoink it. The phatbox sounds much more concealed and utilizes stock controls too, yeah?

I'd go with the phatbox, but I also am not looking at doing it for a while due to money constraints

There are several ipod integration methods that allow you to navigate the ipod via the OEM controls. See my sticky in the electronics section for a list of them.

ZC, does the phatbox display any text on the LCD? I know none of the existing ipod methods do, and the OEM method coming out this fall will not. If the PB does display them then that would be pretty cool.

Any chance you could figure something out so you can take the cartridge to your stereo and plug it up? That would be cool.

 

[ZoomZoomH]

PhatBox/PhatNoise is probably getting phased out by Mazda, because they just announced an OEM kit for connecting iPods to the Mazda OE stereo (w/ full control via steering wheel buttons and stereo HU buttons)

 

[Zero Cool]

Well exactly, the iPods killed the Phatboxes!

No the PB does not have text display on the LCD and neither does the iPod. I am working on an aftermarket device to do just that. If anyone knows anything about CAN networks.... I was hoping that the display was a simple serial text display, but it is not, it actually is a CAN device so adding text display become more complicated. that is why no one has done it yet!

The iPod is nice and small, you can unplug it from the car and take it with you, plug it into the house cradle and keep listning. However the PB had voice prompts so you dont have to look at the display, with the ipod you have to look at the display to see where your at. I have not seen voice prompts for an iPod yet....

So the PB's main advantage is the voice prompts.

Yes PB sold for a short time a home phatbox unit. you took your DMS and plugged it into this stereo piece and it had controls on the front and even a remote. nice, hard to get and expensive.

The iPod software is easier to use then the PB software. so its sort of a toss up.


Zc

 

[Rainman]

Great info brother!

R

 

[anidnad]

Have you been able to test the random feature? I have a Phatbox installed in my Mazda6 and it works great - except for the random feature. When I press the RDM button, it goes to a random track on the current playlist and after it plays that track, it just continues playing songs in the order they are on the playlist (unless you press RDM again). Wouldn't you think when in random mode it would shuffle tracks until RMD was turned off?

Ok so i finally got around to doing an extensive bench test of the phatbox. No i havent installed it yet.....

I have an 04 and a 06 HU here and i have the PB flashed with the mazda firmware and the 06 patch and the unit works great on both head units. I am running the 04 HU currently on the bench with it as the 06 display doesnt function when it is not in the car. but the 04 does as it plugs into the radio directly.

So far it has been running for over an hour and it works fantastic. little clumsey in how you navigate it. but once you learn the modes everything is cool.

One thing i did notice is when power is first applied. the PB lights up, then reboots. i need to check the DMS cart and make sure the Forceupdate and Forcesettings files have been removed. If there there. then that is why it is rebooting.

But....I have been using my iPod in the car for a while now and well....i like how east and fast it is to use. It does require looking at the screen when navigating the controls. but i am wondering how well the ipod would work with one of those HU adapaters. The iPod is defnitly smaller then the PB and less of a PITA to mount/hide. BUT, the PB has the capability of installing up to a 120 gig drive and a 160 is in the works so....Do i need that much? not currently but maybe if i rip my CD's in wav format instead of MP3 for better sound quality.

And i am wondering how well the PB will do when it is -30 outside. living in MN has its disadvantages many times. an iPod may be a better solution for winter time use......hmmmm decisions decisions....



Zc

 

[Zero Cool]

I have not tested that function yet. on Phathack.com there was some mention of the poor random algorthm used. These is some better way to do random somehow. Dig around on the forum and you will find the post related to it.



Zc