Tutorials/Hourly clock

Overview

 * This page contains instructions for a clock that signals you every MINECRAFT hour.

Description

 * An hourly clock is a redstone intensive device that makes some indication of when an in-game hour has passed. This clock is just an extension of the standard 4 clock, except that this is a 75- or 150-clock. NOTE: One in-game hour is equal to 50 seconds of real-time. Also, this program is best done with inventory editing, due to the amount of resources it would take to make all the components.

Supplies

 * The basic supplies needed are listed below.

-75 - 150 redstone repeaters. -lots and lots of redstone wire -1 - 2 redstone torches -a few noteblocks -2 - 3 blocks of your choice (not glass, though) -75 - 100 pistons (optional)

Basic circuit

 * This clock is your standard "clock" circuit, except it has a delay of 75-150 ticks, instead of 4-5. To start the circuit, use one of your redstone torches and a block of your choice to set up an inverter. once that is done set a repeater either in range of the inverter's torch or with a wire running from the inverter to it. Now you have some options.

75-clock

 * A 75-clock has half the repeaters of a full circuit, and one more inverter for the signal telling you that an hour has passed. After the basic circuit is built, add 74 more repeaters to the chain and connect then end of the chain back to the inverter. then, before the inverter, have a wire branch off and lead to another inverter, which in turn leads to a noteblock, or a sequence of noteblocks. The second inverter is needed for this reason: As the clock only has 75 repeaters instead of 150, the noteblocks need to go off only once every 2 cycles. And, a clock circuit has 2 sequences. The first is a power up, in which the repeaters all turn on; the second is a power down, where the repeaters all turn off. This cycle repeats endlessly unless interrupted by a broken chain or a save and quit.

150-clock

 * A 150-clock is what this writer and builder considers a "full circuit," meaning it uses the max amount of repeaters needed. Set up the basic circuit from 4.1. Then put on a chain of 149 more repeaters. Then at the end of the circuit, make a wire branch off to one side, and attach 2 noteblocks or sequences of noteblocks.. But, put an inverter before ONE of the noteblock sequences. As explained in 4.2, a "clock" circuit has 2 sequences, running in an endless cycle. So the inverter in front of one noteblock sequence makes it so that every 150 repeater run, on or off, powers a noteblock sequence. This method requires more materials and time, but is more rewarding when finished and more fun for showing off to friends or in videos.

Configuration

 * As there are 3 repeaters required to time a second, and 50 seconds in a minecraft hour, there need to be repeaters configured in some way to make 500 ticks delay (1 tick = .1 seconds).

75-clock config.

 * To set this clock to the right delay, set 50 of the repeaters to 4 ticks, and 25 to 2 ticks. This creates 25 seconds delay and, with the inverter setup on the chime, will sound the signal once every 50 seconds.

150-clock config.

 * To set this clock to the right delay, set 100 of the repeaters to 4 ticks, and 50 to 2 ticks. This is a full 50 second delay, which is why there are 2 chimes, one with an inverter.

Reboot circuit

 * This is an optional addition to your clock. For information on repeater reboot systems go here.(NOTE: this is what the pistons would be used for.)

Chimes

 * The chime is the part of the clock that tells you when an hour has passed. It is made of noteblocks, and can be anything from a single note to a complex melody. A good idea is to build your chime under the floor of your base so that it is heard from inside home.

Cool ideas

 * These are just some other cool ideas for an hourly clock.

Clock Super Complex

 * Make a giant complex housing 12 hourly clocks. Have each one chime the number of the hour, and rig the circuits so that each chime goes off 2 times a day.

Multibase Clock

 * If you want your clock to sound in all your bases, but don't want to build different clocks all over the map, it is possible to connect all your bases to the clock. This will mean more delay from repeaters needed to carry power the distance from clock to base, but you can just say that there are minute time zone differences across the map. Then just build more chimes in your bases.

Clock Tower

 * Another nifty device would be a tower in some central location you pass regularly. Or, even better, a central location in your favorite SMP server, like a town square or fortress or marketplace. Then just hook chimes up to your clock and put the chimes up in the tower, so that anyone within a 48 block radius will know what time it is.