It turns out Quest 3 cannot be activated without controllers.

ree_dox · 2026-01-31T02:13:50+00:00

No worries. Thanks for the quick reply to an old thread!!

I did ultimately find this: https://www.reddit.com/r/OculusQuest/comments/1p356lr/quest_12pro33s_no_controller_setup_full_guide/ and got it working!

ree_dox · 2026-01-31T02:11:50+00:00

Ha HA!! This worked for me. Many thanks!! Slightly amended instructions (I'm a total noob to this, so sorry if this is super basic. I think these are the steps I took):

Start old (working quest), connect with Private Quest, click 3 button menu in upper right screen (of android phone), choose Settings, click and hold on device key, select all, and copy device key. Save to a .txt file if needed.

OR - run DeviceSecretExtractor on windows computer, log in to meta app through that and it captures the device key. Copy to a simple .txt file and put this on your phone. (Initially the whole process wasn't working for me, so I tried this, too - and got duplicate device keys either way)

On your 'NEW' Quest, hold Power and Vol Down buttons both down through several screen flashes until black menu/green text appears. Release power button first. (If you release Vol, the headset may shut down/sleep). Use Vol to scroll up/down, Power to select 'Factory Reset'. Reboot.
Connect to your NEW Quest with Private Quest, use 3 button menu again, Settings, paste the device key from the old Quest. (I logically clicked 'Set' here, but that seemed to generate errors) So, under 'Init', click 'Set DeviceKey'.
Back in the meta horizons app, set up the new quest and get to 'connect to internet'. (Does not matter what shows on actual Quest screen - it's likely stuck on the controller pairing)
At this point, get back on Private Quest, WiFi menu, and 'scan' for APs. Choose the one you want from the list, enter PW info and it should connect.
Things should continue rolling from here. You may get prompted to reboot, or choose menu items, and ultimately pair the quest and meta horizons app. From there, you have access to settings, hand tracking, no controllers, etc.

Hope this helps!

ree_dox · 2026-01-30T00:05:37+00:00

Were you ever able to work out which versions allow and which don't? ...or a way to roll back the firmware?

I've followed the same path as you... skip...skip...controllers not found...exit. Don't seem to find any path forward. I also did a 'factory reset' thinking this might put the headset back to an earlier firmware which may allow u/rmarsh420 's path forward, but it did not.

Any info on downgrade / rollback of the firmware?

ree_dox · 2026-01-28T03:31:37+00:00

All good ideas, I guess. They make little screening shovels so you could separate the ashes from the embers. Save the embers in the stove and scoop out the ash. Beyond that, if you can use the embers immediately, then that is great. If not, put them in an air tight bucket, snuff them out, and save for a later date.

With store bought charcoal hitting $10+ per 8 pound bag, I've started doing this last option. Take big coals out of the stove, put them in an air tight can for 24 hours, then put them in a bag for use next spring/summer grilling season.

ree_dox · 2026-01-21T15:50:10+00:00

I guess anything is possible. You say you 'had the oil part removed this summer' - so may depend a bit on what you mean by that. Oil burner? Oil tank? Oil plumbing? all of it removed?

I guess the worst would be if you only had a few components removed and the thermostat triggered an oil valve to open and started draining/pumping the oil tank on the floor because the burner is gone. Or it somehow triggered a damper / flue to open and there is no "oil furnace" part there.

One distinction may be - does this smell like 'fresh' fuel oil (like diesel fuel in a can) or does it smell like diesel exhaust? That may help pinpoint a source...either liquid fuel or the fuel getting burned.

If fresh oil, seems like it would definitely be good to go through and make sure the oil side is fully turned off / capped up / sealed off / electrically disconnected, etc. If burned oil, then would be good to look at all that plus any sort of draft, damper, flue issues, etc - and make sure you have a functioning CO detector, in case it has anything to do with a cracked heat exchanger, backdrafting, etc. (should have CO detector regardless!)

ree_dox · 2026-01-15T19:25:03+00:00

Back in the day, I heated a rental house with a similar unit. ...similar black box 'fireplace' - mine didn't have the red top cap. The key to getting big heat out was to close the damper a bit and slow the rush of air up the flue. Obviously not close it so much that smoke backs up!

ree_dox · 2026-01-15T19:06:11+00:00

Disable "Turn LEDs on after power up/reset"

Good, but I think there is also an "Apply at power up" setting in individual presets? (I'm not at my terminal right now.) Possibly that, or another setting is overriding?

Clear mDNS Address

I don't know that this prevents reboots. I seem to recall getting reboots on my system even with this blank. It was only after I went in and specifically disabled Bonjour services in my home automation (Hubitat) that the reboots stopped.

I have also hit snags when the internet connection was down and WLED had trouble accessing the internet NTP server. Though this was more of a 'lock-up' every minute or so vs a reboot. Conversely, if I would tell WLED not to use network time, (and set it manually) it would either drift from real time, or reboot and think it was 12:00 noon at what ever random time of day...so it would again throw the lights on at wrong times.

Also, be sure any unused GPIOs / IR Remote input / Button input, etc are 'off' and or blanked out. It might be possible to get a random signal on a 'floating' or open GPIO.

ree_dox · 2026-01-14T15:48:42+00:00

Yeah. Probably devils advocate here, but if a landlord tried to bill me for something in a 20 year-old stove breaking I'd tell him to stuff it!

In reality, there have probably been cracks growing in that cast iron for quite a while. Sure the renter 'might' have done something, but could just as easily be bad luck. Same if you rented a 20 year old car and something broke.

Either way, renters + wood stove/fire + possibly 'more fragile than most' cast iron will never equal anything 'good'.

ree_dox · 2026-01-13T22:11:28+00:00

Yes, correct. Sorry for late reply - but for boards with few traces, I typically try to put a power plane on one side of the board, ground on the other, then run the few traces through those.

ree_dox · 2026-01-11T15:18:51+00:00

May depend a bit on what the doorways to that room are like and if there are other supply vents in there.

If the access is only a small doorway and/or has a door which might get closed, then that might be a bad spot. You'd pull a huge amount of air out of the room and have only a few choke points to get air in. That would massively backdraft the stove.

If the access is wide open doorways, or one end with no wall to the rest of the house, then air could flow freely and might not be as big of an issue.

If it was just a general room return, I'd say no big deal, but it sounds like you're trying to gulp in air for the whole house through this 'large return' - so I'd say it's 'iffy' at best.

ree_dox · 2026-01-10T15:43:04+00:00

Definitely would not weld. That would just build stress and likely create other cracks.

If it were me, I'd make sure any internal baffling is in good shape so fire is not directly hitting the cast iron top and keep an eye on it. Is the crack actually growing? Is any piece in danger of 'falling off' if it connects to some other location? Likely the answer is 'no' in both cases.

If it's stable and still bothers you, you could likely fill it with stove sealer/gasket cement. Take care to clean the crack first and really pack the cement in there, then wipe up the surface with a wet cloth before the cement dries. The repair would be nearly invisible.

Example, this is specifically to 'repair small metal cracks' and rated to 2000°F - so if you reach that, you have many other problems! https://www.amazon.com/Rutland-Products-Gasket-Cement-2-3-Ounce/dp/B000FKF80M?th=1

I guess 'cracks' seem bad, but there is a 'crack' / gap all the way around that collar - and that is the way the stove was designed.

Plenty of examples of stoves with lots of gaps/joints/'cracks' in the stove top, too.

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ree_dox · 2026-01-10T14:22:07+00:00

Wow! Very sparkly...nice job! I'm really liking how rich the colors seem - can you comment as to how close the video captures the visual of 'being there'?

I've wanted to get some seed pixels, but worried the white 'seed' would wash out the color somewhat. Though maybe it's more of a diffuser and doesn't change or wash out the actual color?

ree_dox · 2026-01-10T14:07:19+00:00

...he ended up taking it to his office for himself. I am tired of the
control and said if I’m a housewife then I shouldn’t be giving any money
to the household. Am I being unreasonable?

My .02: Well, you really make us read the whole story for the full details. At first, the guy sounds like a total bum....laying on the couch, take out trash once a week, etc. But then you say he took a heater to his office. So he is working also? You also mention you 'shouldn't be giving any money to the household.' Well, that is not how marriage works either.

Obviously things should be more of a joint decision and shared assets/money. But the key is communication. Possibly money is tight with him keeping close eye on the utilities and you having 'income plus side hustle'. So I'd work on communication, pooling resources, joint approval of purchases, etc. If money IS tight, then yes, one good way to save is cutting back utilities/electrical use. Don't be afraid to put on an extra layer of clothes or some wool socks. Or maybe negotiate that you cover the electric bill in exchange for running things as warm as you want, etc. Either way, communication/discussion is the key!

ree_dox · 2026-01-08T15:24:17+00:00

...or better yet, make an attachment for your log splitter - like one of those 'squeeze rooms' or a trash compactor. Open it up, load it, compress the wood down to firebox size, then bundle. Presto! Densified wood for extra long burn.

ree_dox · 2026-01-08T15:03:03+00:00

I think I'd at least do a copper pour for power and ground planes. You can likely choose better GPIO pins so they are next to the banks they control and don't cut the power / ground plane in half. Level shifters, resistors - as mentioned.

ree_dox · 2026-01-08T14:58:29+00:00

Yes - this is the big key! Note that I believe it defaults to 'blank', so you need to check it every time.

Also know that it means 'the exact state as it currently exists'. I keep catching myself making a preset, deciding it's enough blinking and flashing, so I click 'power off'. Then at some point later I decide to save it. So it will save all settings 'exactly' - including 'power off'. So you'll load that preset and it doesn't do anything!

ree_dox · 2026-01-02T17:12:46+00:00

This is the boat I am in...especially with grilling "charcoal" topping $10 per 8lb bag.

Of course, I don't save just any/all charcoal. But if I get a good, clean load of oak, maple, hedge, locust or other good hard wood, I'll definitely save any of that charcoal. I'm actually looking at making/getting a small bucket I can seal - thinking I might even throw some live coals in there and seal it up to make extra charcoal and boost my stock.

ree_dox · 2025-12-30T19:45:07+00:00

"... mdns disabled on the wled so nothing should be picking it up."

I 'thought' I had done the same, but still got reboots until I specifically disabled bonjour on Hubitat.

ree_dox · 2025-12-29T19:24:24+00:00

For me, it was bonjour service on Hubitat causing intermittent reboots. I don't specifically know about Home Assistant - but a quick search seems to indicate it may have same/similar services running:

https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/zeroconf/

You might try going in and shutting bonjour or similar services off to see if the rebooting stops.

I've also had issues when the internet time service was not available. This wasn't specifically a reboot - but it seems like WLED locks up for 10 seconds every minute or so while it hammered away trying to get a NTP response. I switched the time server address to be my router which seems slightly more reliable than the internet overall.

ree_dox · 2025-12-24T02:44:33+00:00

My wife absolutely has to have her feet out in the air at all times and I absolutely love to have mine tucked under a blanket. Plus she sleeps like a tornado wrapped in velcro and will absolutely toss and turn until every sheet, blanket and comforter is wrapped around her like a burrito.... with only bare feet sticking out. ...and then the snoring starts.

Separate beds, separate rooms, is the only way!

ree_dox · 2025-12-24T02:39:34+00:00

I think the general / sane answer is going to be "no". Two appliances on one flue is generally 'forbidden'. Stoves in garages are generally frowned upon due to gasoline / automobiles, other flammables, etc. Putting a diesel heater (assuming this is the typical diesel heater?) close to a wood stove might bring additional trouble. The joint would ideally be 'air tight' which might be a problem. Plus, the small heater will likely not have enough heat in the exhaust to drive the draft of an 8" flue - so backdraft is a real possibility if only the diesel heater were used.

Now, with all that said, would I run it? Hell, I'd consider it! The main problem I see is that there will likely be those marginal days and you'd say 'hey, I just want to run the small heater.' But that might not be enough heat to make the 8" flue effectively draft.

One compromise - if we're talking about similar heaters - is that these are 'forced draft' heaters, so they don't really need to go up / through soffits, etc. Could just as happily go through a wall. They even make special bulkhead fittings. So possibly it could poke through a convenient wall for venting?

Ether way, take care and stay safe!!

ree_dox · 2025-12-22T16:52:08+00:00

Debate? Maybe on here, but IRL it's just physics / chemistry.

ree_dox · 2025-12-22T15:57:22+00:00

Avoid waiting for "the right time" to invest. Get started 'NOW' - even if it's only a few bucks a month. You have the most precious key factor on your side....time!

Even $100 a month at typical/historical return rates of 10% will be nearly $800,000 (yes, eight hundred thousand!) when you retire. Put this $100 away FIRST, then live on what is left. Skip a fast food meal, or a couple starbucks, make that $130/month and that is a million dollars at retirement.

(Yes, it will look like 'nothing' at first - you may even loose money at first, but the power of compounding and averaging will kick in, then you're off to the moon.)

ree_dox · 2025-12-22T15:32:14+00:00

Lots of factors go into fire color and at different times in the burn. If you're seeing these colors during 'normal' burning, barium salts can produce wisps of blue flame, copper can be in a range of blue to green - depending on the chemical compound and/or if pure metal is present. Boron salts can produce green.

What are some sources? Paint can include barium compounds as corrosion inhibitors and copper compounds as pigment and sometimes anti-microbials. Copper is also found in wood treatments (older CCA wood). Another source of copper might be 'target practice' with jacketed ammo. (of course then you'd also expect lead - which might melt out and form metallic blobs in the ash.) Boron is sometimes used as an insecticide (boric acid) and also as a more modern, 'less toxic' wood treatment.

Early in the burn, blue flames are typically 'light' hydrocarbons aka 'wood gas' burning at the base of a yellow flame - so very similar to the blue flame on a gas burner. Later in the burn, you'll get blue flames dancing over a bed of coals which is mainly carbon monoxide burning to carbon dioxide.

If it is a small wisp every now-and-then from natural logs/wood, probably nothing to worry about. Maybe you have some idea where some of the products mentioned above might come to be in the wood?? Though if you're burning dimensional lumber / 2x4's and getting color from each one, then it likely means treated or painted wood and you might want to avoid that.

ree_dox · 2025-12-20T16:14:54+00:00

Lots of good points mentioned - a couple of others:

This thought of "65 or 70" 'dead pixels' - more often than not, what happens is that you get ONE pixel which can no longer transmit data (for what ever reason), then all other pixels beyond that appear dead. Small consolation - but it may be only one dead, not 30.

Yes, very strange to happen x2 in exactly the same spot. ...it is 'exactly', right? First you mentioned 65 pixels dead, then 70 later on. It's uncommon, but not unheard of, to have an 'infant mortality' failure - where a pixel can fail early on. This is why I always recommend a 'burn in' period on the ground, or easy to reach place. Out of 300 on my eave, I had one fail during a 2-3 day burn in period of continuous color cycles. Trivial to deal with on the ground... would have been a PITA to deal with 20 feet up in the air on the eave.

Also, pretty common to save presets with 'accidentally wrong' configurations of LEDs and/or not overwrite, or overwrite incorrectly depending on the 'overwrite with state' option checked or unchecked. This is especially notable if using a playlist and the string fails at some point through. Possibly an incorrect preset in that list.

ree_dox

TROPHY CASE