I'm looking into creating an HF xml gauge. As FS doesn't support these frequency bands - I would imagine it would have to use L:vars? I have no experience using strings - so I'm probably jumping right in at the deep end! I have looked at COM/NAV/ADF xml gauges, however these all use A:vars. Concorde HF1 gauge: -http://ftp.avsim.com/dcforum/User_files/3dbed56e1ef0a614.jpgBoth strings (or maybe 1?) have increments of 1MHz/KHz and range from 0.000 to 30.999. Can this work with L:vars? Thanks for any help/suggestions. Andy

As an on and off again SWL'er (listening to Atlantic tracks once and a while), I have been interested in HF or AM radios for FS. Someone once tried to create a gauge that would expand ADF to tune AM broadcast stations, because these are sometimes used to home in on in other countries and in the past. But I think he discovered this could not be accomplished without changes to FS radio bands.I think it's possible to make a gauge that would look like an HF radio dial and display correct numbers, but without FS supporting the band there is no way to connect it to the sim model (facility frequences and tuable ranges). That is why the default radio gauges use A vars. Those are linked to sim values.You need only create a variable G or L of number type that holds a floating point/fixed point value, like 3.2 etc. Then you display this value as a formatted string.For example, fuel flow is a decimal number in the sim model, so you display it using the 'f' formatting code:

%((A:Eng1 fuel flow GPH, gallons per hour))%!3.2f!

Also, you have to think about what the radio would play should the frequency be tunable in the sim model. I have no idea how FS associates frequencies with sounds it plays for radio traffic.Steve

Hi Steve, Thanks for your suggestions. I was not planning on linking the gauge to FS through any A: vars - I fly on Vatsim most of the time, and the Oceanic coverage has increased a great deal in the last month or two - so it's just going to be something else to enhance the pedestal panel. These floating points: I have seen them in many of the string gauges. What is the significance of the 3.2? I have also seen values of 6.2 (around six?!)TIAAndyhttp://ftp.avsim.com/dcforum/User_files/3dc0629457f3286f.jpg

When you see a format like!03d!that is a digit format, meaning display as three digit number.When you need to display a value with a decimal fraction, you use something like!3.2f!where the first number is the number of digits to the left of the decimal point and the second number is the number of digits to the right of the decimal point.At least that is the way it works for me.Steve

!3.2f! means three digits including decimalpoint and two digits behind the decimal point, so numbers between .00 and .99 should be displayable. But often if you have more digits before the decimal point it still works.Arne Bartels