Skip to content

Instantly share code, notes, and snippets.

@gsingal

gsingal/STORE-CHECKLIST.md

Created June 7, 2026 18:41
Show Gist options

  • Select an option

    Learn more about clone URLs
  • Save gsingal/fc4e0036116b17858d89693f6970f52f to your computer and use it in GitHub Desktop.

Select an option

Learn more about clone URLs
Save gsingal/fc4e0036116b17858d89693f6970f52f to your computer and use it in GitHub Desktop.
Download ZIP
Skylight ADS-B ceiling projector — phased build, buy guide & Boston dump1090 setup
Raw
STORE-CHECKLIST.md

Skylight — Store Checklist & Buy Guide

Project: cpaczek/skylight — decode live aircraft radio (ADS-B) and project planes onto the ceiling at their true overhead positions, mixed with sun/moon/stars/ISS. Date: 2026-06-07 · For: Boston same-day + order-online plan

The one thing we will NOT compromise on

The most interesting, valuable part of this project is the radio receiver — the SDR dongle + antenna that pulls real planes out of the air. Everything downstream (computer, projector) is interchangeable. So the rule is:

  • Get the RIGHT receiver, even if it means ordering it (1–2 day wait).
  • Compromise freely on everything else (use the Mac you own, use a projector you already have).

A wrong/counterfeit dongle is the only purchase that can actually ruin the experience. See the ⚠️ warning below.

Goal: planes only

Decided 2026-06-07: this project is only about aircraft (1090 MHz ADS-B). No HF, no weather satellites, no ham. That single fact picks the receiver — buy the one that's best at planes, not the most versatile one. The Skylight README's RTL-SDR Blog V4 is end-of-life as of May 2026 (source) and faked everywhere, so it's off the table regardless.

BUY THIS (the receiver — best at planes)

FlightAware Pro Stick Plus + a cheap 1090 MHz antenna. The Pro Stick Plus has a built-in amp and a 1090 MHz bandpass filter baked in — it catches ~18% more planes with more range than a general-purpose dongle, and the built-in filter is exactly what helps in Boston's noisy urban RF. It's also the receiver the entire ADS-B hobby standardizes on, so it's the right base if "more than Skylight" ever happens. It has no antenna in the box, so add one.

# Item Buy from Price Link to check yourself
# Item Buy from Price Link
--- ------ ---------- ------- ------
1 FlightAware Pro Stick Plus (built-in 1090 MHz filter) ⭐ FlightAware (direct) $45.99 flightaware.store/products/pro-stick-plus
2 FlightAware Indoor Antenna, 17cm two-coil (SMA) FlightAware (direct) $20.00 flightaware.store/products/indoor-antenna-17cm-two-coil
3 Computer You own it (Mac) $0 —
4 Software (dump1090 + Skylight) Homebrew + GitHub free dump1090-fa formula · skylight repo

Total spent: ~$66 ($45.99 + $20.00 + ~$14 shipping; free shipping only kicks in at $200+, and no reliable discount code exists — FlightAware's own forum shows their codes are rare and short-lived). Gets you all the way to "real planes rendering in a browser on my Mac" — about 90% of the whole project.

Considered and rejected for a planes-only goal: the RTL-SDR Blog V3 kit ($39.95, amazon.com/dp/B0BMKB3L47, seller "RTL-SDRBlog"). It's the better all-rounder (does HF, weather sats, ham) and includes an antenna, but it catches fewer planes than the Pro Stick Plus and you'll never use its extra versatility. Only pick it if you change your mind about wanting more than flights.

Same-day in Boston? No.

Checked Micro Center Cambridge (730 Memorial Drive) inventory on 2026-06-07 — they do not stock any true SDR / ADS-B receiver. Their "radio" results are all walkie-talkies, emergency radios, and IoT transceiver modules (none can decode aircraft). So there's nothing worth buying there today for this project; order the Pro Stick Plus online (1–2 day ship). Micro Center is still the right place for the later Raspberry Pi + HDMI cable, in person.

When it arrives — Boston / Newton setup

Step 1 — prep the Mac now (while it ships):

brew install librtlsdr dump1090-fa
git clone https://github.com/cpaczek/skylight

Step 2 — plug in and confirm real planes. Screw the antenna onto the Pro Stick Plus, plug into USB, put the antenna near a window, as high as possible (placement matters more than anything indoors). Then run the Boston-located command — the lat/lon make plane positions correct (essential later for the ceiling overlay):

# Newton, MA (home) — 42.337, -71.209. Receiver at ~50m ground elevation.
dump1090-fa \
  --device-type rtlsdr \
  --lat 42.337 \
  --lon -71.209 \
  --max-range 250 \
  --interactive \
  --net
  • --lat/--lon — your position, so range rings and plane bearings are correct. (Boston Common is 42.355, -71.065 if you'd rather center on downtown; home is better for the ceiling phase.)
  • --max-range 250 — nautical miles; the Pro Stick Plus reaches ~250 NM with a clear view.
  • --interactive — the live in-terminal aircraft table (your "it works" moment).
  • --net — also serves the web map at http://localhost:8080 so you can see planes on a map.

Step 3 — verify it's real. Within ~2 min the table should fill with callsigns/altitudes. Cross-check one against flightradar24.com. Logan (KBOS) traffic should dominate. Zero planes after 5 min = move the antenna to a window, not a hardware fault.

Step 4 — bring up Skylight pointing at the local dump1090 feed (per the repo README), and you have the real planes-plus-sky visualization on your Mac.

Projectors — can the basement ones work?

Short answer: the 720p projector — yes, use it for Phase 2. The tiny 480p — probably not bright enough, but free to try.

Skylight just renders a web page, and any computer (Mac or Pi) will happily output 720p or 480p over HDMI (Pi resolution config). Resolution is NOT the blocker. Two real things to check:

1. Brightness (the actual deciding factor)

A ceiling image in a dark room needs roughly 1,000+ lumens to look good (BenQ lumens guide).

  • 720p basement projector: almost certainly a real home projector at 1,500–3,000 lumens → works great. ✅ This is your Phase 2 projector. Skip buying one entirely.
  • Tiny 480p pico projector: these are often only 50–150 lumens. On a ceiling in a dark room it'll be dim and washed out. Free to test, but don't count on it. Fun for a first proof-of-concept aim-test, not the final install. ⚠️

✅ This means you likely save the entire $400–900 projector line item. Use the 720p you already own.

2. Connector (quick gotcha check)

  • 720p projector: check it has a standard HDMI input (almost all do). If yes → done, just need an HDMI cable.
  • Tiny 480p projector: these sometimes use composite/AV or micro-HDMI/MHL instead of full HDMI. Look at its input port before assuming. If it's not HDMI, an adapter may be needed.

To verify yourself: find the model number on each projector's label and search "<model> lumens" and "<model> inputs". Tell me the two model numbers and I'll confirm exact specs.

Full phased shopping summary

Phase Goal New hardware to buy Cost
0 — MVP Real planes on your Mac screen FlightAware Pro Stick Plus + 1090 MHz antenna ~$35–40
1 — Always-on Headless 24/7 on a dedicated box Raspberry Pi 5 8GB + PSU + cooler + microSD (also at Micro Center, ~$80 Pi + ~$40 accessories) ~$120
2 — Ceiling Project onto the ceiling $0 if the 720p works + HDMI cable + 1/4-20 rotating mount + safety tether (~$30 in bits) ~$30
3 — Polish Labels, ISS, calibration none (software) $0

Realistic all-in if the basement 720p works: ~$190 (dongle + Pi + mount bits), vs the README's implied ~$500–1000.

Today's action list

  • Order the FlightAware Pro Stick Plus ($25) + a 1090 MHz antenna ($10–15) on Amazon. Nothing same-day in Boston; 1–2 day ship.
  • Grab the 720p projector from the basement; note its model number and whether it has HDMI in.
  • Note the 480p projector model number too (I'll check if it's worth trying).
  • While the dongle ships / on the drive home: brew install librtlsdr dump1090-fa on the Mac so you're ready to plug in.

Sources

Sign up for free to join this conversation on GitHub. Already have an account? Sign in to comment