Back on Nov. 18, 2025, I asked ChatGPT: “Can I build a tiny LLM from scratch?” “Maybe one trained only on FT8 messages?” I didn’t know where the journey would lead. Turns out I wandered straight into an amusement park . Here’s the toy — no further explanation needed. https://github.com/wcheng95/MiniLLM
I had studied W6/NS-140 Andrews Peak last year and thought it was doable for me as a backpacker, so I planned a 5-day trip from Hetch Hetchy. I started on May 17 and arrived at Hetch Hetchy around 10am. The weather was perfect. I passed the dam, then the roaring Wapama Falls, and continued ascending toward Tiltill Valley. Tiltill Meadow was flooded around ankle deep, and that made my boots wet for the whole trip. The campsite was very nice. On the second day, I kept moving toward Jack Main Canyon. The flooded meadow was not easy to navigate. Right before I decided to give up, I found the trail again. Beyond Tiltill Valley, the trails were less maintained, but with help from Google Maps and Earthmate, I was able to stay found the whole trip. I walked slowly to avoid triggering altitude sickness, and it worked. I only met one hiker during the whole day. I stopped around 6pm and camped next to a small creek. The third day was my activation attempt day. I hiked about one mile to the ...
After about 10 months of refinement, my portable SOTA/POTA station has reached a good balance between functionality and weight. It supports CW, FT8, and SSB. The setup weighs just over 1 pound when a tree is available for supporting an antenna; otherwise, it weighs a little over 2 pounds. QMX-HB + 40m 225g Battery(14500x3) 73g EFHW(40-10m) 58g Coax(2m) 45g Lightening 2 USB-C 21g Paddle,Mic,Cable 23g Earbud 14g Log+Pen 24g ------------------------------- 483g HRD 20ft mast 452g Two short ropes 14g ---------------...
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