How to build an all-sky camera and weather station with one Pi
Plan the camera, enclosure, power and storage for a reliable backyard sky observatory.
PiSky unifies three previously separate hobbies — all-sky imaging, weather monitoring and local aircraft tracking — into one modular platform on a single Raspberry Pi. You don't need all three: Camera, Weather and Aircraft are independent capabilities, and you can enable any combination that suits your setup.
1. Choose your hardware
Start with a Raspberry Pi 4B (4 GB or better) or a Pi 5, an official-quality 5 V power supply, and at least 16 GB of storage — high-endurance media or an SSD is recommended for a station that runs continuously. If you're adding a camera, check it against the supported list before buying; most ZWO cameras sold before February 2025 work, as do the Raspberry Pi HQ and Camera Module 3.
2. Plan the enclosure and power
An all-sky camera lives outside, so weatherproofing and a stable power run matter more than almost anything else. If you're also running a USB weather station or an SDR receiver, budget for a powered USB hub — the Pi's own USB power budget runs out quickly once a camera and a receiver are both attached.
3. Install and configure
The unified installer sets up whichever capabilities you choose in one pass. See the installation guide for the full walkthrough, and the first-hardware acceptance check once you're up and running.
4. Decide what to share
Everything PiSky shows publicly is opt-in. Station coordinates, exact receiver position and administrative controls stay out of the public pages by design — you choose what your visitors see.