Choose Your Hardware
Four ways to buy Helioclock.
Bring your own Pi 4/5, boot it from a USB stick on a PC you already have, get a turnkey display, or run a multi-screen server for a wall of displays. Pick the one that fits how you’ll actually use it.
A quick note on lead time: Helioclock has seen a huge response since Huntsville Hamfest, and current orders are taking up to 2 weeks to ship as we work through the backlog. Every order goes out in the order it was received, no exceptions. We think it’s worth the wait, and we appreciate yours.
Outside the US or Canada? We can’t ship there yet, but join the waitlist and we’ll email you the moment we can.
Wondering why Helioclock ships on physical media instead of a download? Here’s why.
SKU-1
SD Card – Pi 4/5
$39 (launch special, normally $49)
A preloaded SD card for a Raspberry Pi 4 or 5 you already own. Primary use case is a big screen TV boot it, then you can also access Helioclock from a browser on your PC or tablet on your LAN.
- Raspberry Pi 4 or Pi 5, 4G minimum RAM
- Runs Helioclock automatically after power up
- Use with big screen TV/displays, plus can be a headless server with remote browser access
- SD card wear mitigation built in for long service life
SKU-2
Live USB Stick
$39 (launch special, normally $49)
A bootable USB drive that runs Helioclock on a PC you already own. Works on most existing Intel/AMD PCs made in the last decade, allowing you to repurpose old hardware. No Pi 4/5, needed, no separate appliance, just plug it in and boot from it. Works on connected big screen TV’s and from a browser on your PC or tablet on your LAN.
- Works on existing Intel/AMD PCs – repurpose old hardware
- Runs Helioclock automatically after power up by configuring your PC Boot preference in BIOS
- Ships as a physical 32GB USB 3.0 drive
- Wear mitigation built in for long service life
SKU-3
Turnkey Appliance
$369
A dedicated compute appliance, ready to run Helioclock out of the box – no Pi 4/5, no SD card, no setup beyond your network connection and timezone. Connect your own HDMI big screen TV/display and go. (Product appearance may vary slightly.)
- Ready to run – connect your own HDMI display and/or use to drive browsers on your LAN
- Dual HDMI outputs – drive two displays at the same time
- Supports WiFi and Ethernet
- Runs Helioclock automatically after power up
- Compact, built for a desk, wall, or shelf
- Built in wear mitigation for long service life
SKU-4
Multi-Display Server
$499+
An enterprise-class server built to drive multiple displays at once – for NOCs, trading floors, dispatch centers, and lobbies that need more than one screen showing live data. Custom or turnkey systems are available – contact us for a quote.
- Desktop or rack-mounted server
- Drives multiple displays from one unit
- Server-side caching handles many more simultaneous remote browser viewers
Minimum System Requirements
What you’ll need on your end.
SKU-3 and SKU-4 are turnkey – the hardware ships ready to run. SKU-1 and SKU-2 run on hardware you already own, so here’s what that hardware needs to meet.
SKU-1
SD Card – Pi 4/5
- Raspberry Pi 4 (2GB minimum, 4GB recommended) or Pi 5
- WiFi minimum, wired ethernet recommended for 24/7 reliability
- 1080p HDMI display minimum, 4K recommended – or none at all, primary use is headless via remote browser
SKU-2
Live USB Stick
- Intel or AMD PC (x86_64), UEFI or legacy BIOS boot support
- 2 GHz dual-core processor or better – Ubuntu 24.04’s own baseline, no specific chip required
- 2GB RAM minimum, 4GB or higher recommended for smooth operation
- USB 3.0 port recommended for best performance
- Any display with HDMI or DisplayPort
Before You Buy
A couple of things worth knowing.
Why can’t I just download it?
Helioclock isn’t an app you install on top of your existing setup, it’s a complete, purpose-built Live Linux environment tuned for exactly the hardware it runs on. That’s what makes it plug-and-play: no drivers to chase down, no dependencies to install, no config to get right. Building and testing a real, working image for a given piece of hardware, then standing behind it, is what SKU-1 and SKU-2 actually are. A raw download we couldn’t test against your specific board or PC wouldn’t give you that same guarantee, and it’s part of why physical media is what ships, and part of what’s driving the current lead time. It’s also a support question: trying to make a general download work across every Linux distro and every skill level, from experienced sysadmins to first-time users, would turn troubleshooting into a nightmare for everyone involved.
Why only US and Canada right now?
International shipping brings its own customs paperwork, duties, and per-country logistics, and we’d rather get that right than promise delivery we can’t back up. We’re actively working on setting up proper sales and shipping channels outside the US and Canada. If you’re outside either country, join the waitlist and we’ll email you the moment it’s ready.
Not Sure Which One?
A quick way to decide.
Already own a Pi?
Go with SKU-1. It’s the cheapest way in, and you’re likely running it headless anyway.
Have a spare PC instead?
Go with SKU-2. Boot it from the USB stick, no Pi 4/5 required.
Want it to just work?
Go with SKU-3. One box, connect a display, nothing to configure.
Outfitting a NOC or ops room?
Go with SKU-4. Built for more than one screen from the start.