Look, I’m not a Redstone engineer, or an electrical engineer. I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed for lack of better words. Although this is the case, I’m going to do my best to explain what the Observer is along with its functions. Maybe you’ll learn a thing or two, and possibly utilize Observer blocks in your next build. They’re much easier to use than you think! This block, like most Redstone, works differently across Java and Bedrock, so some mechanisms and farms might not work on both versions.
To craft an Observer, you’ll need:
– 6 Cobblestone
– 2 Redstone Dust
– 1 Nether Quartz
What Do Observers Do In Minecraft?
An Observer could be considered a beta version of the new Sculk Sensor. Placed similarly to a Piston, it observes the block it is placed against. (on the side of its unimpressed face) Observers emit a strong destone signal at level 15 over 2 in-game ticks. (1 redstone tick)
The Observer will detect the state of the block it is observing, along with placed or broken blocks. Once a block state change is detected, the Observe will send out a Redstone signal from the back. (opposite of the face) An example of this could be if an Observer observes a crop growing.
Observers emit a Redstone signal if they are moved by a piston. This is done after the push/pull, not beforehand.
Java vs. Bedrock
This is a comprehensive list of all the block states that would trigger an Observer, and which version they apply to.
Detected in Bedrock:
- Changes to inventory of any blocks that comparators measure as containers
- Activating / deactivating a beacon
- Activation / deactivation of a dragon head
- Placing / removing an item frame, adding / rotating / removing an item in an item frame
- Teleporting something by the end gateway
Detected in Java:
- Changes to the block states of fire that signifies flammable surfaces surrounding fire
- Opening and closing chests, ender chests and shulker boxes
- Dry farmland changing among its six dry-looking hydration stages
- Playing a note block
Detected in both:
- Activation / deactivation of a hopper (Turning the hopper on/off)
- Farmland going between dry and humid
- Activation / deactivation of a dropper or dispenser
- Activation / deactivation of redstone ore
- Spread of grass to dirt, or decay of grass into dirt
- Aging of saplings, sugar cane, or fire
- Moving potions to / from a brewing stand
- Adding / removing contents from a flower pot
- Locking / unlocking and changing delay of a Redstone repeater
- Changes in the shape of walls, fences, iron bars, glass panes, stairs, tripwire, Redstone, vines, melon stem, or Pumpkin stem
- A grass, mycelium, or podzol block becoming snowy or not snowy
- Forced growth of sugarcane by bone meal
- Door is opened or closed
- All other block / block state changes
Conclusion
Observers can make auto-farms and other things incredibly simple. They aren’t too complex or difficult to understand like Comparators or Repeaters. It’s a simple concept, and they might become null after the addition of Sculk Sensors, but we have yet to see whether they detect the change in block states. With that said, Observers are still a big part of Redstone. Have a great day!
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