A note from MAK for those who have upgraded to the digital controller and may be having issues...
We’ve identified that our latest stability update included some filtering that was a bit too aggressive for the pit sensor. I’d like to have you perform a 'Firmware Rollback' to version 0.5.4. You will see an update for 0.5.6—go ahead and run that. It will actually install the 0.5.4 logic, which should smooth out your temperature swings immediately.
I installed the new touchscreen controller. It comes with good instructions but getting all the wires and plugs in the correct connectors took me about an hour. I took a photo of the old controller, wires and plugs which was helpful in identifying the proper wires and connectors on the new one. The wires from the grill come with paper labels, which is helpful, but a couple of mine had fallen off in the 3 years since I got my grill. It is helpful that each plug-in connector fits only in a unique plug. So, you can't plug in a wire to the wrong plug.
When I had everything connected and put back together, I plugged the grill back in and touched the screen. The controller instantly came to life. I then followed the instructions to connect to my home WiFi. It was remarkably easy to do. The WiFi connection fired up on the first try.
The next thing to do was to connect the grill to the MAK phone app. You get the Grill ID off one of the screens on the controller and enter it into the phone app. Again, it was easy and the connection worked the first time I tried it.
Unfortunately, it has been raining pretty steady here, so I haven't yet done a cook with the new controller. From what I can see so far, the grill will be much easier to operate from the new touchscreen controller. I can't wait to do an overnight brisket and monitor the cook from my bedroom. I will report further on the new controller as soon as I can do a cook with it. So far, so good.
Last edited by briano52; January 1, 2026, 04:49 PM.
The newer MAKs have color coded cable plugs (Red, White, and Blue) and both version of the K-plug probe controllers had corresponding color-coded sockets which is nice if the cable labels were to fall off. Does the new controller not have color coded sockets? I did ALOT of controller swapping and the longest part was getting the 6 screws off, 5 minute job at most. Now setting up the wifi and such on the older controllers was a chore, which is supposedly much simpler on these new ones?
Some of the sockets on the board of the new controller are color coded and some are not. I was very cautious to try and make sure I did not make a mistake. Turns out that it is hard to make a mistake as each socket is unique such that you can't plug in the wrong wire. This was first for me, so I took it pretty slow. If I had to do it again, it would go much faster.
Setting up the WIFI on the new controller was very easy. I did it in few minutes. Big improvement over old controller!
I got my new MAK Pellet Boss (PB) installed. The instructions are pretty good. And the cables to the new PB each have a unique connector so you can't put them into the wrong place. Nevertheless, I took pictures of the back of the old PB and that helped confirm for me that I was putting the cables into the correct place on the new PB.
After I got it all back together, the new PB fired up immediately with a long (5 second touch) on the screen. The screen is quite bright and clear. Easy to read in daylight.
The new PB connected to my WIFI immediately after typing in my password. I then connected to the MAK app on my phone. Again, immediate connection with no trouble. I can't remember having a new device connecting so easily to my WIFI.
I went to the start screen on the PB and found the slide switch to fire up the igniter. I activated the switch and got ignition. The grill started the ignition cycle. But the temp readout on the screen was way off. I checked all my connections, and it all looked OK. I emailed Dennis at MAK for help. We tried a few things and it seemed like the PB was OK. He checked with his PB guy and determined that the most likely problem was a bad thermocouple (existing part). Dennis immediately sent me a new thermocouple. Arrived in two days.
I installed the new thermocouple and the new PB fired up immediately and the temp reading was accurate. So, the fix of a new thermocouple worked. I did a test ignition and ran the grill for 2 hours. All is well. Haven't done a cook yet.
So far, I really like the new PB. The screen is big and bright. Easy to read. The WIFI connection is fast and flawless. You can run the grill remotely. I will do a real cook soon and report here on that.
Needless to say, the customer service and lightning fast follow up from MAK on the new PB was impeccable. The new PB is not yet advertised on the web site. I had been in contact with MAK and got the new PB as a part of their soft roll out. They have sold a limited amount of the new PB's so far. I understand that more are coming.
Can programmable cooks be set up on the new controller? For example, set it to smoke for 2 hours @ 180°, then cook at 350° until meat probe reads 200°, then hold @ 180°?
Thanks for any info.
I would assume so, the analogue controller through all iterations had that feature. The web control used to and supposedly the app will have the feature again in the near-ish future.
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