Gasax
I am afraid so. I had the first mode S in a SEP in the whole airport for about six months.
Around these parts if there is a solid overcast and you get above the clouds you will be surprised how little traffic there is (after all almost no one has an IR so its only those with IMCrs) - try it in Europe and you might as well go stand in the middle of a dessert somewhere there is as much chance of meeting another aircraft.
Not that I am in any way deriding those pilots who have no wish to fly above the clouds or travel around outside the UK.