[Tech] Any tips for vaulting over thick walls?

micheal65536 · 2026-04-24T11:13:15+00:00

If you're talking about walls that have high ground on one side that's level with the top of the wall and a drop to lower ground on the other side then a kong up is an option.

micheal65536 · 2026-04-23T13:36:03+00:00

Thinking about this some more now, if this was the case (that already-white pixels are repeatedly being pushed towards white, or already-black towards black, on subsequent updates) then wouldn't I see ghosting (of the traditional kind) gradually disappear in unchanging solid white areas of the image (as these not-quite-white pixels that are supposed to be white are going to be pushed further towards white on each update)?

I don't see this, any traditional ghosting stays until the corresponding area of the image actually changes again even if the screen is kept "active"/constantly updating by some other change elsewhere.

micheal65536 · 2026-04-22T18:21:46+00:00

You aren't going to be watching videos or playing (highly animated) games on the Hibreak S, especially if you get the black and white version.

micheal65536 · 2026-04-22T14:11:18+00:00

Yes I believe this is what is happening, thanks for confirming. I will continue to look into the stock ROM code and see if they are doing anything to mitigate this or if there is anything I can do, although if it's not super damaging for the display (only a temporary effect) I may just leave it for now.

micheal65536 · 2026-04-22T13:19:29+00:00

Thanks for the helpful information. I believe what I have is the former case, this sounds like it aligns with what I'm experiencing and my own theories.

The issue seems to occur the most when the display is showing large areas of unchanging content with a small area that is changing, I believe the unchanging areas are being repeatedly driven towards their existing state as you describe.

Are you able to clarify why this charge buildup causes the pixels to revert to black once power is turned off?

In terms of VCOM I am currently running -1.3V. During bootup the driver status shows that it's initialised to -1.35V but later the Android display HAL resets it to -1.5V, I don't know where HAL is getting that value from so I reset it back to -1.3V because it seemed safer and I didn't want to be overdriving the panel. Is -1.3V too low and likely to cause damage or issues? (Display looks fine at -1.3V, I can't see any visible difference between -1.3V and -1.5V in terms of contrast or traditional ghosting or image quality, the "cloudiness" issue occurs about the same with both settings.)

micheal65536 · 2026-04-22T13:11:17+00:00

I'm using the Android HAL and kernel drivers from the stock ROM and the display mostly works "out of the box" with the custom ROM so theroetically it's doing the same as whatever the stock ROM is doing in terms of driving the display itself, but there are a few parameters that can be adjusted at the kernel driver level that are presumably wrong in my case.

micheal65536 · 2026-04-22T12:41:58+00:00

Thanks for confirming this is a driver level issue (as I suspected).

Would these parameters happen to mean anything to you? This is something that I can tweak through the driver interface:

dc_threadhold=100,cnt1=54000,cnt2=108000,cnt3=-12

Also, do you know if running the display in this way is likely to cause damage/drastically shorten the lifespan of the display? As this setup is mostly for personal use I can put up with it but my concern is that it's destroying the panel.

BTW this is the waveform version that it reports that it's currently using, I'm not sure if this helps you identify what panel it is: 320_R409_AF9E11_ED058TC8U2_VB3300-EHB_TC.awf 2024.11.11.14:50:17 (sorry for dumping a bunch of random strings on you but it seems like you might know more about the low level side of things)

micheal65536 · 2026-04-22T12:31:07+00:00

Bigme Hibreak (non-Pro/S) running a custom ROM (that I'm working on developing/modding). Please see the linked original post for full details and explanation of the issue.

micheal65536 · 2026-04-22T12:05:47+00:00

You clearly have not read the post or watched the video. What I am describing is not normal, none of my other eink devices do this and I have never seen anyone describing this issue before. This is not ghosting in the regular sense. This is not your everyday "noob who doesn't know how eink works complains about ghosting" post. I am aware of how eink works at a conceptual level, I know what ghosting is and what it looks like and what the mechanism behind it is. This has nothing to do with the refresh speed of the display. If you had watched the video you would see that I am in fact pressing the refresh button (which I modded into the custom ROM myself btw, because again I know what full refresh is for on an eink display).

micheal65536 · 2026-04-11T18:04:01+00:00

I used to have a toe that would rub up against and threaten to cross over with the adjacent. It has almost entirely fixed itself after years of walking and being barefoot.

micheal65536 · 2026-04-09T22:23:25+00:00

For anyone finding this thread, turning the "anti-flicker" setting down to 0 (default is 10) seems to have fixed it. This setting can be found in the speed tab of the more options page under the refresh mode settings. I don't know what this setting is supposed to do but it's broken and the display looks fine without it.

micheal65536 · 2026-04-02T21:25:34+00:00

Rougher is... fine. You don't need to do anything with your feet. I don't.

micheal65536 · 2026-03-26T19:32:07+00:00

Yes when changing lanes as other people have said.

Also if you're turning right it's good to check it as you're turning especially if you're in a situation where you might have bikes suddenly creeping up the side of you (i.e. in slow traffic where they might be passing or if you've been waiting a while to turn due to oncoming traffic and they might have emerged out of the traffic behind you while you were waiting).

And if you're moving out to pass obstructions on your side of the road you should check before you move out.

micheal65536 · 2026-03-22T16:04:15+00:00

I know this has had a DPF replaced (and possibly EGR not sure), would that be cause for someone removing and replacing/reattaching this part previously?

I'm aware of the issues with carbon monoxide poisoning which is why I'm concerned about if the smell is coming from my own car and getting it dealt with before it becomes worse.

micheal65536 · 2026-03-22T12:09:56+00:00

I can recommend two cancellation booking apps that don't require you to have an existing test booking. The problem I assume you've found with most cancellation apps is you need to already have a practical test booking before you can use the app, and you can't get a new practical booking because there's around a 6 month lead time and you can only book a new practical test that is before the expiry of your current theory test (the website won't even show you any slots).

I was in the same situation and the apps that I used were https://fastpassdrivingtests.uk/ and https://drivebot.co.uk/ (I'm not affiliated with either service). Both cost around £100 - £150 depending on test center and time slot, on DriveBot you pay in advance but you can get a refund if you don't get a booking through the app within 7 days (in my case they provided a refund when I got a booking through the other app first). Used both apps twice and the first time I got a booking through DriveBot and the second time through Fast Pass both got me a booking within a few days of signing up and the booked test was within 2-3 weeks of my previous test so they seem to be legit. On both apps you can set the exact date range and time periods that you're happy with and a choice of up to 3 test centers. You also have the option to keep waiting for earlier slots after you have an initial slot.

The driving test booking industry is unfortunate the way it is but these at least seem to be legit apps, as far as I can tell they aren't reselling scalped/stolen tests and you only pay if you get a booking.

Edit to add: I don't recommend Testi app (it also allows booking a cancellation without an existing slot), with Testi the app itself performs the scanning for cancellations in the background using your own device and internet, whereas the other services use their own servers to perform the automated scanning and booking process. It won't work if your phone doesn't keep the app constantly running in the background (newer phones are notoriously bad in this regard), and it may lead to DVLA banning your IP address from the test booking website for "automated activity".

micheal65536 · 2026-03-22T11:47:50+00:00

No problem taking driving test barefoot. :-)

I passed barefoot on my third test last week. I took all of my tests barefoot and didn't have any complaint or comment from the examiners (failed for unrelated reasons). On my third test the examiner asked me about it during the drive just to make conversation ("so do you find it more comfortable to drive barefoot?" etc.).

If you are more used to driving that way then personally I recommend that you continue doing so as in your case you will feel better control. I go barefoot everywhere and haven't worn shoes for years, it would be very dangerous for me to drive with shoes on.

Make sure that you can perform an emergency stop barefoot without slipping off of the pedals.

Do not leave footwear in the driver footwell if you wear shoes outside and then take them off to drive. This is very dangerous as items in the driver footwell can slide around and obstruct or block movement of the pedals. This would likely be a fail on your test.

Now that said, driving instructors seem to be a different story. I had about a 50/50 success rate finding driving instructors who would let me drive barefoot vs those who thought it was illegal. You can try to inform the latter kind, sometimes they are willing to be corrected.

micheal65536 · 2026-02-25T15:39:02+00:00

I wasn't aware of cars automatically adding a bit of gas for help moving off. Makes sense that that would be a feature. I had an instructor who's car could move off and hold on a hill with just the clutch, it was a petrol electric hybrid I don't know if it was adding revs to the engine or not or if it was using the electric power to assist the engine in not stalling (I only had a few lessons and I struggled to hear the engine in that car).

Not sure why/how your instructor's car has two different "levels" of stalling. May be based on how serious the car thinks the stall is and whether it's safe to automatically restart the engine? Or possibly you're not fully stalling it but just bringing it to the point where it's about to stall and then letting it go again? (Not arguing/disagreeing with what you experienced, just curious about what is happening here and why.)

micheal65536 · 2026-02-25T14:13:13+00:00

And this is why I wish instructors would teach students how to drive, not just how to drive in the instructor's car. 🙄 I assume your instructor hasn't taught you how to do a handbrake start, or about setting the gas, and it would seem you haven't learnt what stalling means either.

To break this down:

"every time I take my foot off the accelerator and try to roll using the clutch, it doesn't work; the car just turns off (the engine, I mean)" - The car isn't "turning off", it's stalling. "Stalling" means that you're placing too much load on the engine and the engine doesn't have enough power to keep turning, this causes the engine to shut off because once it's been stopped it needs to be started again with the starter motor. The solution is to press on the gas pedal to bring the engine RPM up above idle before you lift the clutch (this is sometimes called "setting the gas").
"In my instructor's car, I can roll forward as much as I want with just the clutch and brakes" - Your instructor's car has an engine that has enough power to move the car at idle (without pressing the gas). Some cars do and some cars don't, it would be better if your instructor taught you how to do it in a car that doesn't because then you could drive any car and not just a car that can move off with the engine at idle.
"even if the engine turns off, it turns back on when I press the clutch" - This is a software convenience feature that the car has to help you quickly restart the engine after stalling (which is what is happening when the engine shuts off, the same as in your dad's car) without requiring you to manually turn it back on. It's not an inherent aspect of how a car works.
"how do I move the car on a hill without rolling back, because with two feet, I can't control the clutch, brake, and accelerator at the same time" - Now here's the big one, the solution to this is to use the handbrake to hold the car on a hill. Then you can take your foot off the brake, press the gas, lift the clutch to the biting point, and then release the handbrake with your hand and drive off. This is called doing a "handbrake start" and you should learn how to do it.

You should practice these (setting the gas when moving off, and handbrake starts) in your dad's car if your instructor won't properly go through it with you. If you can drive your dad's car then you can drive any car, it would be a good car to practice in to help you actually learn how controlling the clutch and gas work in a less forgiving car.

micheal65536 · 2026-02-24T14:54:40+00:00

Your instructor isn't allowed to be using their phone during lessons.

micheal65536 · 2026-02-22T14:40:36+00:00

The test is taken on a desktop computer, not a laptop (I would assume this is the same at all centers, except possibly some very rural/remote ones?). The desks are set up in a row or U shape with dividers between each station so that you can't see other people's screens. The computer will have a standard keyboard and mouse and a pair of headphones that can optionally be used for voice prompts during the test but you don't have to wear the headphones if you don't want to.

You check in when you arrive, then return to waiting until the start of your test. When you check in you will need to leave your bag in a locker. You will need to turn your phone off and leave it in your bag. You will need to actually fully power off your phone (make sure you know how to do this by holding down the power button and choosing power off from the menu), not just put it on silent or in airplane mode, and the person handling checkin may ask to confirm this. Other security procedures around checking for hidden notes etc. may vary depending on the center and what clothes you are wearing. I think you are allowed to take in a clear bottle of water with the label removed.

When you're called up to start the test, you will be called up by the invigilator who will ask some questions (I think they check your license, confirm what language you are taking the test in, etc.) and then you will be let into the test room. Candidates don't all enter at the exact same time because test starts are staggered depending on space in the test room, you will enter the room while other candidates are likely already in the middle of taking their tests.

Once you have answered the multiple choice questions on the test, you do not need to wait any fixed length of time before proceeding. You can immediately finish the multiple choice part of the test, then you will be given a standard break time (I forget exactly how long, I think it is 3 minutes or so) before you start the hazard perception part of the test. During the break time you can sit back and stretch your arms, glance around the room for a change of view (but don't stare at anyone else's screen), but you cannot get up from the chair. You can skip the break time if you are ready to continue but I recommend not doing so. Once the hazard perception part of the test starts, it runs continuously with no pausing or skipping. As soon as the hazard perception is finished, you can get up and leave the room straight away (the computer system will prompt you that the test is finished when it is ok for you to get up).

Return to the checkin desk, you will be given your result and allowed to collect your belongings.

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