How to make and use Minecraft observers

The Redstone contraptions can be challenging to master in Minecraft, especially with the more elaborate setups. So, to help you along this crafting journey, here’s everything you need to know about the observer.

Minecraft observer crafting recipe

To make the observer, you must use the following resources on the crafting table:

• Six cobblestone
• Two Redstone dust
• Nether quartz

Place the cobblestones at the top and bottom of the grid, as well as the Redstone dust and Nether quartz at the center.

Cobblestone and Redstone dust should be simple enough to find using Minecraft’s traditional mining activities, similar to iron. This requires a trusty pickaxe at your side, which will also be needed for the Nether quartz. Quartz stacks are tricky to obtain, as they involve traveling through a Nether portal. After you’ve gone through one, mine the red blocks with the noticeable white particles.

Besides mining the Nether quartz yourself, trading is available through the villagers. It won’t always be guaranteed, but at least you don’t have to make the trip into the other realm.

What to do with observers in Minecraft

The observer sends out a Redstone pulse to a particular object near it. In order for it to work, place said item by the red circle and then use a mechanism to activate it on the opposite end.

For example, a dropper can be placed on the red circle side to emit materials while the item near the observer’s “face” activates it. In this case, I’ve gone with something simple like a button, but you can use plenty of other objects. For instance, items like levers, Redstone contraptions, and block placements cause a reaction immediately. Once the button is on/off, the observer will transmit the pulse to the dropper and send out items.

If you’re familiar with the piston, the observer functions similarly to this, just without the act of pushing out the wooden piece. It’s primarily used for those complex Minecraft projects to send out a pulse from one point to another.

When you need to move the observer, use a pickaxe to remove it. Otherwise, it won’t drop on the ground, causing the recipe to disappear.