[Feature request] display frequencies with 3 decimals

[Christoph Reule 1379750]

Hi,

 

I would like request to update vPilot in order to display all three decimals for frequencies (e. g. 121.775 instead of 121.770). This would also allow to better identify frequencies with 8.33 kHz spacing (compulsory for most parts of Europe by end of 2018 in both upper & lower airspace).

[Bradley Grafelman]

SimConnect doesn't communicate the third decimal digit with external apps. So, rather than rely on all other clients inventing this information correctly, vPilot simply ignores the third decimal digit. What value is added by having this nonexistent (and therefore automatically-[Mod - Happy Thoughts]umed) value displayed?

 

Having said that, vPilot already shows frequencies to the 3rd decimal digit.

[Christoph Reule 1379750]

SimConnect doesn't communicate the third decimal digit with external apps. So, rather than display information that has no bearing on the sim, vPilot simply ignores the third decimal digit. What value is added by having this nonexistent (and therefore automatically-[Mod - Happy Thoughts]umed) value displayed?

 

Didn't know there's a technical limitation (SimConnect). But is it possible to use all 8.33 kHz frequencies (list: see here) then?

[Bradley Grafelman]

Not sure. I don't know that FSX or P3D supports 8.33 kHz spacing - I thought they only support 25 kHz.

[Christoph Reule 1379750]

Not sure. I don't know that FSX or P3D supports 8.33 kHz spacing - I thought they only support 25 kHz.

 

The FSX SDK used for compiling scenery BGLs does include the possibility to use 8.33 kHz spacing (which means that FSX is principally able to use them). The problem are the radios within FSX, these indeed can only tune 25 kHz frequency spacing.

 

On the "other" network where I was an active member for 8 years I read the following 8.33 kHz spaced frequencies should be usable:

xxx.x00

xxx.x05

xxx.x25

xxx.x50

xxx.x55

xxx.x75

[Bradley Grafelman]

On the "other" network where I was an active member for 8 years I read the following 8.33 kHz spaced frequencies should be usable:

xxx.x00

xxx.x05

xxx.x25

xxx.x50

xxx.x55

xxx.x75

They must not use SimConnect then (which would rule out this working for vPilot).

 

SimConnect conveys your radio frequency using BCD16, ignoring the hundreds and the thousandths position. In other words, for the imaginary frequency 123.456, the value retrieved via SimConnect will be the hexadecimal value 0x2345 (123.456).

 

So, no, it's not possible to use SimConnect to achieve 8.33 kHz spacing, because frequencies 123.010 and 123.015 would both be represented by the value 0x2301 with no way to distinguish between the two.

[Christoph Reule 1379750]

Currently I don't see a problem with using SimConnect anyway, but maybe this will come across latest in 2018 when all frequencies are switched to 8.33 kHz spacing in reality (at least in Europe, don't know the exact situation in other parts of the world).

[Bradley Grafelman]

Is there any motivation for VATSIM to even attempt 8.33 kHz spacing? Has the world within VATSIM run out of 25 kHz-spaced frequencies? Just because a real-world counterpart uses a certain radio frequency doesn't mean the VATSIM equivalent has to use the same.

[Christoph Reule 1379750]

Is there any motivation for VATSIM to even attempt 8.33 kHz spacing? Has the world within VATSIM run out of 25 kHz-spaced frequencies? Just because a real-world counterpart uses a certain radio frequency doesn't mean the VATSIM equivalent has to use the same.

 

If they attempt to achieve this, it'll be good, if not, it'll be good, too. 25kHz frequencies won't go out...

[Ross Carlson]

SimConnect conveys your radio frequency using BCD16, ignoring the hundreds and the thousandths position. In other words, for the imaginary frequency 123.456, the value retrieved via SimConnect will be the hexadecimal value 0x2345 (123.456).

 

So, no, it's not possible to use SimConnect to achieve 8.33 kHz spacing, because frequencies 123.010 and 123.015 would both be represented by the value 0x2301 with no way to distinguish between the two.

 

You can also request the frequency as a 32 bit integer, in which case you get all six digits.

[Markus Schober 1328585]

We should not forget that

1) FSX only supports 25kHz increments when adjusting the COM radio frequency using a rotary encoder which is the only way of tuning the radios in many sim aircraft

2) the radios of a lot of sim aircraft do not even display the 1kHz digit

 

This means that if the network and the pilot client supported and required a finer grid, the pilots of those aircraft would have to set the frequency from within the client instead of directly tuning the radios.

 

I can only speak for myself but I would prefer being able to tune the radios directly from within the sim instead of using more realistic frequencies.

[Christoph Reule 1379750]

We should not forget that

1) FSX only supports 25kHz increments when adjusting the COM radio frequency using a rotary encoder which is the only way of tuning the radios in many sim aircraft

2) the radios of a lot of sim aircraft do not even display the 1kHz digit

 

This means that if the network and the pilot client supported and required a finer grid, the pilots of those aircraft would have to set the frequency from within the client instead of directly tuning the radios.

 

I can only speak for myself but I would prefer being able to tune the radios directly from within the sim instead of using more realistic frequencies.

 

That's why you could use a "matching table" for the 8.33 kHz frequency spacing.

Examples: radio set to 118.00(0) would refer to (network) 118.005, 118.02(5) would refer to 118.030, 118.05(0) would refer to 118.055, and so on.

 

Of course you won't be able to use all new frequencies, but it could be compromise where you still can tune directly in your sim.

 

As Ross pointed out, there's a technical solution to retrieve all 6 digits.

 

It all depends on how or whether VATSIM wants to implement it.