Same. Nobody listens to his radio 24x7. Hardly anyone ever responds to "Hello, World!" messages in real time. We do see nodes located far, far beyond the horizon. On a good day, there are way over 150 nodes operating, which is enough to keep channel utilization above 10% without any traffic beyond NodeInfo, Telemetry, or Position.

I don't know what it's all for. A couple of friends keep nodes charged and on the air locally. We expected to be able to exchange off-grid text messages, but, on a bad day, only about 2/3 of our messages ever go through. We need more LOCAL nodes! It's difficult to imagine how to advertise though.

I suspect the agenda of Ham-Radio Operators with regard to Meshtastic who had nodes up before we did was just to dabble with the technology. Their agenda with regard to emergency preparedness is much more robust. For example the list of certifications required of Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network volunteers is (long):

"All SATERN Members • Must be a FCC licensed amateur radio operator • Must have an up to date completed volunteer profile • Must be credentialed and have an ID badge • Must follow the amateur radio operators code of conduct • Complete Safe from Harm training • Complete Introduction to Emergency Disaster Services training • Complete FEMA ICS-100 and ICS-700 • Complete Salvation Army SA-200 Incident Command System Training • Be proficient with net operations • Be proficient with the ICS-214 form • Be proficient with the ICS-309 form • Understand the ICS-217 and ICS-205 forms • Be proficient with the ICS-213 message and ARRL radiogram • Must have an understanding of how to report and/or halt any unsafe operations.

"TYPE FIVE Shadow Communicator, TYPE FOUR Canteen Communicator, & TYPE THREE VHF / UHF Communicator

"In addition to the general training and proficiencies above: • Must have a Technician Class License or higher • Recommended Completion of FEMA AUXCOMM training • Be able to program their radio equipment in the field without the aid of a computer • Know their radios' capabilities and limitations • Arrive equipped to meet the needs of the team typing • Be able to function in high stress environments and in adverse conditions • Be able to serve as a net control operator • Be physically fit and able to walk for 10 minutes or more to serve as a shadow • Be able to lift 50 lbs as part of a canteen crew. • Type Three must be qualified to drive a Salvation Army vehicle (must have a valid driver’s license and be a Salvation Army approved driver)"

• https://salarmycentral.org/edsdirectorsmanual/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2020/05/SATERN-Application-2020.pdf

... so, if Meshtastic node owners aspire to having any role to play in emergency preparedness, then just operating a $50 LoRa radio probably isn't going to cut it. Understanding how to keep out of the way of the folks doing the heavy lifting is important, too. Meshtastic Users' getting the cold shoulder from anyone else having the least familiarity with emergency services is surely plausible.