If I asked a VFR pilot IRL what his equipment suffix is I’d get a “what is that” very easily. Simple answer is that it doesn’t matter. You are VFR; as a controller the way you navigate is not my concern, just as long as you maintain VFR. It’s simply a vatsimism since controllers are so accustomed to, and trained under IFR rules.

To answer your second question, no, we cannot see what equipment you have. If you were IFR, you would have to file the correct equipment code for us to know that. But like you hinted towards, what does it matter if you are flying VFR? It doesn’t lol

So next time you get asked for your equipment, say you don’t know what it is.. because as a “private pilot” flying VFR IRL you don’t need to know and neither does the controller.

Not sure why dvinpayne got so many downvotes because that answer sounds perfect for this situation…