Google Maps’ “Measure Distance” feature tracks the distance between my node and St35 as being 95 miles as the pelican flies. St35 is 4 hops away. While there is a much higher concentration of nodes in NYC, the geographic spread here in Northern California is considerably larger.
It makes sense that I can see others nearly 100 miles out, as the connections between nodes is line of sight, then extended by connections and the relaying of data node to node within the mesh network. So looking across a flat valley to join distant nodes, then connecting with others in the mesh around the bay makes for a rather healthy spread.
Mind you, I’m not using the stock antenna that came with this LILYGO T-Beam SUPREME, so with it I’m connected directly to BIC who is 41 miles away who connects me to the next, then the next, then the next node. Not bad at all.
I’ll check the app when I’m back in NYC to confirm that this observation is in fact correct. It’s possible the spread isn’t something I notice while there because I’m entirely distracted by the sheer number of nodes on that map.