Hey there, Minecraft fans! Ready to take your redstone creations to the next level? Then you’ve got to learn how to make an observer. These handy little devices emit a redstone signal whenever the block or fluid they’re facing changes. They’re a total game-changer for automation!
In this guide, we’ll walk you through:
- What an observer does
- What materials you need
- Step-by-step crafting instructions
- How to use the “give” command to get observers
- Ideas for using observers in your builds
By the end, you’ll be an observer pro, ready to create some truly mind-blowing contraptions. Let’s get crafting!
Contents
What Does an Observer Do in Minecraft?
An observer is a block that emits a redstone signal when the block or fluid it’s “observing” changes state. For example:
- If the observer is facing a grass block and a sheep eats the grass, the observer will emit a pulse
- If it’s watching a water source and you scoop up the water with a bucket, it will activate
- When pointed at crops, it will fire when they grow
Observers open up a whole new world of automation possibilities. You can use that redstone pulse to power pistons, dispensers, lights, and all sorts of other contraptions.
What You Need to Craft an Observer
Before you can make an observer, you’ll need to gather a few key ingredients:
- 6 cobblestone blocks
- 2 redstone dust
- 1 nether quartz
Here’s how to get each component:
Cobblestone
Cobblestone is easy to get. Just mine some stone with a pickaxe and it will drop as cobblestone. You’ll need 6 blocks total.
Redstone Dust
To get redstone dust, you’ll need to mine redstone ore with an iron (or better) pickaxe. Redstone ore looks like stone with glowing red flecks. You’ll find it deep underground, usually around layer 12.
Each block of redstone ore will drop 4-5 redstone dust, so 1-2 blocks should be plenty.
Nether Quartz
The trickiest ingredient is nether quartz. As the name suggests, you’ll need to take a trip to the Nether to find this one.
First, build a Nether portal by making a rectangular frame of obsidian and lighting it with a flint and steel. Hop through the portal and look for pale, pinkish quartz ore. Mine it with any pickaxe to get your nether quartz.
Pro Tip: Bring a spare portal with you so you can get home quickly after finding the quartz!
Crafting an Observer
Once you have your ingredients, crafting the observer is a snap. Here’s the recipe:
| Cobblestone | Cobblestone | Cobblestone |
|---|---|---|
| Redstone | Nether Quartz | Redstone |
| Cobblestone | Cobblestone | Cobblestone |
Simply place the items in a crafting table in that pattern and voila! One shiny new observer.
The Observer “Give” Command
If you’re playing in a world with cheats enabled, you can also use a command to get observers. Open the chat window and type:
Java Edition: /give @p observer 1
Bedrock Edition (PE, Xbox, Switch, Windows 10, Education Edition): /give @p observer 1 0
Using Your Observer
To use your new observer, just place it where you want it. It will face the direction you’re looking.
The observer will emit a quick redstone pulse whenever the block in front of it changes. You can then use that pulse to activate other redstone components like:
- Pistons
- Redstone lamps
- Droppers
- Dispensers
- Doors
- And more!
The possibilities are endless. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Make an automatic farm that harvests and replants crops
- Create a secret door that opens when you step on a pressure plate
- Build traps that fire when mobs walk by
- Rig a lighting system to turn on at night
Observers are one of the most versatile redstone components in Minecraft. With a little creativity, you can use them to engineer all kinds of amazing automated contraptions.
So what are you waiting for? Go craft some observers and start tinkering! And don’t forget to share your awesome observer creations with the community.