1. Aerial Drone Competition
  2. RECFevents Help
  3. Competition Portal - Running Competitions
  4. Audience, Remote, Pit and Field Displays

Using RPi’s for Event Displays

This guide will teach you how to set up a Raspberry Pi (a small, low-cost computer) to display the RECF Competition Portal at your event. Raspberry Pis are an affordable and portable way to run browser-based displays such as Field Timers, Remote Displays, or other Competition Portal views.


Getting Started: Raspberry Pi Equipment


The RECF Competition Portal runs through a standard web browser on RECFevents.org. To use it effectively, your device must be able to run a modern browser smoothly.

As of October 2025, the best option for this purpose is the Raspberry Pi 5. While the older Raspberry Pi 4 can still be used, it may require adjustments to perform well (see the Using a Pi 4 section below). There are a couple of things you should know about the RPi 5:

  1. The RPi 5 does not have normal HDMI display connectors like most computers do these days - it uses Micro HDMI.
  2. The RPi 5 takes USB C power, which is the most common USB connector today and is used in all modern smartphones. However, you need a specific kind of USB C cable with a higher power output.

If you’re looking to use a RPi 5 at your and event and do not have Micro HDMI cables or an extra-powerful USB-C cable, you should strongly consider purchasing a RPi 5 Starter Kit (CanaKit). This kit contains everything that you need to get started with using a RPi 5 at your event.

If you do not want to buy the starter kit, here’s the bare minimum requirements for getting started (links for purchasing these items have been provided for an example only):

Notes on the Raspberry Pi 4:

Many of our event partners utilized Raspberry Pi 4 computers to facilitate events in the past. If you happen to be an EP with a RPi 4 and desire to continue using it for events, please test its performance prior to your event in order to ensure that it can run a web browser smoothly.

After testing, if you find that your RPi 4 is running slow, consider the following:

  1. Use a wired connection. If you have access to a wired connection over your local network, plug in an Ethernet cable into your RPi 4 rather than relying on Wi-Fi. You’re likely to get much higher internet speeds. The Ethernet port is the left-most port on the RPi.

    PXL_20251020_205838201.MP.jpg
  2. Upgrade your Micro SD card. Consider upgrading the Micro SD card that you use for your RPi’s data storage needs. The Amazon Basics brand of Micro SD cards are low cost options that often improve speed and reliability. 
  3. Advanced Users: As a last resort, consider overclocking your RPi 4. WARNING: Only do this if your RPi 4 has a fan and heat sink, as overheating can permanently damage the device. Please heed the above warning and continue with the instructions below at your own risk. Proceed with caution, and this is entirely optional.
    1.   To overclock the RPi 4:

      1. Open a terminal and paste the following command: 

        sudo nano /boot/firmware/config.txt

      2. At the bottom of the config.txt file is a little section with an [all] heading. Please paste the following commands directly under this heading:

        over_voltage=6
        arm_freq=2000
        gpu_freq=750

Setting Up the Raspberry Pi


NOTE: You will need access to another computer to complete the setup process.

Now that you have the necessary equipment, we’re going to set up your RPi 5.

  1. Download the RPi Imager.
    1. On a computer running Windows, MacOS, or Linux (Debian / Ubuntu only!) navigate to this page in order to download the Raspberry Pi Imager, which we will use to install an operating system onto your MicroSD card. 
    2. Prepare the MicroSD Card

      1. Once the Imager is installed, open it. You should see the window below appear on your desktop:

        Screenshot_12.png
      2. Insert your MicroSD card into your MicroSD card reader. 
      3. Plug the MicroSD card reader into the computer which has the Imager installed.
    3. When prompted, here’s what you need to select at this step before hitting “Next”:
      1. Raspberry Pi Device: Raspberry Pi 5
      2. Operating System: Raspberry Pi OS (64 bit)
      3. Storage: Select your MicroSD Card
    4. Select Next
    5. Another prompt will then appear - “Would you like to apply OS customization settings?”. Select No and continue. 

    6. When prompted to erase the SD card, select Yes. 

      Screenshot_14.png

    7. Wait a few minutes until you see this notification:

      Screenshot_15.png

    8. Remove the SD card from your computer and insert it into the slot on the back of the RPi 5 (near the power button). Make sure the label faces down. If inserted upside down, the RPi won’t boot.

      PXL_20251017_175120095.MP.jpg
    9. Connect Power, Display and Peripherials:

      1. Plug in the display and power cables, which are to be inserted to the right of the power button. In the image below, the white cable is for power and the black cable is for display:

        PXL_20251017_175643764.jpg

      2. The keyboard and mouse need to be plugged into any of the USB ports - either the blue or black USB ports will work.

        unnamed.jpg

Connecting to Wi-Fi and Opening the Browser

  1. When powered, the RPi will boot into the RPi OS desktop.

    pi64desktop.png

  2. In the top right corner, to the right of the Bluetooth symbol, is the Wi-Fi icon.

    Screenshot_20.png
    1. Click on the Wi-Fi icon and connect to your local Wi-Fi network.
    2. Choose your network and enter the network password.
    3. The Wi-Fi icon will change to up and down arrows when successfully connected.

  3. Once connected, look to the top left-corner (to the right of the Raspberry Pi logo) for a little globe icon. This is the Google Chrome-based web browser that comes pre-installed with Raspberry Pi OS. Select the globe icon to open your web browser.

    Globe.png
  4. From the browser, you can connect to RECFevents.org to access the RECF Competition Portal. 
  5. If using this device for a display that will play sounds (Main Audience Display and/or Field Timers), ensure the sounds are enabled (See Enabling Sounds During Match Play).
  6. Review these articles to set up and control the specific display types: 
    1. Setting Up & Controlling the Main Audience Display
    2. Setting Up a Remote Display
    3. Setting Up Field Timer Displays

Additional Resources