One of the questions I get asked by fellow space enthusiast is, how to make a repeater? How to switch from one solar cell to another or just to get more power for my home? It’s simple, all you need is a repeater. This is a device that receives signals from your existing transmission line and changes them so you can send them on to another device, be it a receiver, a servo motor, or a TV aerial. Basically it’s used to extend your existing transmission line, lowering your initial investment and saving you money in the long term.
If you have a ham radio operator- who has accumulated some strength in their voice range, you most likely have already come across this concept. It works by splitting your existing signal into fifteen blocks. These blocks are then sent to a receiving station, which takes the signal and converts it into electric power. The beauty of this system is that each block doesn’t require a direct line of sight to the receiving antenna, which means less potential interference. However it also means that your power will drop if any other devices, like cars for example, are close to the receiving antenna.
So lets say you have a forty mile long transmitting line- from your house to your neighbor’s house, while their house is only fifteen miles away. Let’s also say their transmitting line is down, meaning their antenna isn’t picking up your signal. How long would it take for your signal to travel that distance using nothing but a repeater? Well, if you use a repeater, it will take no time at all. With a simple gemstone chip in between your two existing transmitters, you will be able to transmit over forty miles using nothing but your own two transmitters.
Now here’s how it works. You first build a rectangular box with four rectangular plates inside of it. In the middle of the square area place your two previous repeaters- which will act as the mirrors that bounce your signal between your two previous blocks. You then connect the two blocks with wooden ties and strategically place your repeater on the outside of the square box, where it will receive the signals being sent by your neighbors. You should now connect the other three sides of the box to the repeater blocks that were previously made, and the other side of the box to the ground so that you will have an enclosed signal path.
When you receive the signal- your repeater will receive the signals from your neighbors, and it will forward the signal onto your four rectangular plates. These plates will reflect the signal until it comes into contact with your redstone wall. At this point, the repeater will receive the restore signal, which it will store until the next period. During this time, the repeater will be transmitting every fifteen seconds, and it will be repeating the process. You will need to synchronize your repeater with your gemstone lamp, in order to send the signal throughout the entire block.
You can then place your gemstone lamp atop your red repeater- at the same time positioning the red stone appropriately so that the redstone lamp will receive the direct signal. This is an important step because if your lamps or any other block on your landscape are not receiving the signal for the delay that you are expecting, then they will not receive the delay that you are expecting, and your whole structure will fall down. The last step of all of this is to build a small door on the outside of your structure near the redstone lamp, and place a lever on the door so that you can control the flow of water through the gemstone lamp.
This allows you to turn the water back on when it is raining so that the water will slowly run down the path leading to your house.