Want to automatically turn off mob farms when there are too many mobs? Or do you want your house to light up as soon as you walk in? The Redstone lamp is your go-to solution. It is the epitome of automatic lighting and the next step of having the coolest base on Minecraft SMP servers. So, let’s skip the wait and uncover how to make a Redstone lamp in Minecraft.
Make a Redstone Lamp in Minecraft (2023)
Similar to all other Redstone components, Redstone lamps also have a bunch of power mechanics. Make sure not to skip any part of our guide to learn all of them and avoid errors.
What is a Redstone Lamp in Minecraft
Redstone lamps are mechanical light blocks in Minecraft that light up when they receive a Redstone signal. Once the power goes away, the lamp turns off and acts as a regular decorative block.
In terms of brightness, the Redstone lamp has a light level of 15, the highest in the game. It is as bright as lava, campfire, and lanterns. Unlike many other light sources, they offer controllable illumination.
Where Does Redstone Lamp Spawn
Naturally, Redstone lamps only spawn in the Ancient Cities within Minecraft. There, you can find these light blocks as a part of towers right next to the portal-like structure in the city center. You can use our dedicated guide to learn how to find Ancient City in Minecraft and easily collect these lamps.
But, the number of lamps in this structure is usually limited to only 4 blocks. So, unless you have another motivation, like the Silence armor trim, it's best to skip the city and craft a Redstone lamp manually.
Items Required to Make A Redstone Lamp
You need to collect the following items to make a Redstone lamp in Minecraft:
- 4 Redstone Dust
- 1 Glowstone Block
- Crafting Table or Crafter
Since the lamp has a large recipe, you need to use a crafting table to make it. Luckily, getting one is really easy. Place four planks right next to one another in the crafting grid of player inventory to make a crafting table in Minecraft.
Where to Find Redstone in Minecraft
Redstone dust is a common crafting ingredient for various mechanical blocks and lamps are no exception. Lucky for you, we already have a dedicated guide on how to get Redstone in Minecraft to make the search easier.
But, to save you some time, your best option is to stick with the Redstone ore. As per Minecraft ore distribution, it spawns most commonly around the height of Y=-64. So, the deeper you go, the better will be your chances. Though, keep in mind that, you need to use an iron pickaxe or higher to mine this ore.
Collect Glowstone Blocks
Glowstone is a common light block that generates in the Nether dimension of Minecraft. It commonly generates as a part of the ceiling in all Nether biomes. Additionally, glowstone also spawns inside the chests and stable rooms of the Bastion Remnant structure.
Crafting Recipe of Redstone Lamp
Once you have all the ingredients, follow these simple steps to make a Redstone lamp in Minecraft:
1. To begin, open your crafting table by right-clicking on it.
2. Then, place the glowstone block in the middle of the 3x3 crafting grid.
3. Finally, complete the recipe by placing one piece of Redstone dust adjacent to the glowstone. Make sure to leave all the corners of the grid empty. With that, your Redstone lamp is ready for action!
How to Use a Redstone Lamp in Minecraft
Now that you know how to make a Redstone lamp in Minecraft, it's time to light it up. Follow these steps to discover the process:
1. First, equip a Redstone lamp in your hand and use right-click to place it down. You can put it next to any face of another block.
2. Then, combine a cobblestone block with a stick to craft a lever.
3. Place the lever right next to the Redstone lamp and toggle it to turn it on.
4. Later, you can break the lever or toggle it to turn the lamp off. This mechanic works with all Redstone components that can transfer a signal.
5. At the moment, there is no way to control the brightness of a Redstone lamp. But, you can use tinted glass to partly dim its light.
What Can Turn On a Redstone Lamp
Here are all the mechanics you can use to power your Redstone lamp in Minecraft:
- Active power components like Redstone torch, block of Redstone, and others.
- A Redstone comparator or a Redstone repeater that is receiving power and channels it into the lamp. They usually rely upon other mechanical blocks like chiseled bookshelves for triggering.
- Switches like levers, buttons, pressure plates, etc.
- Redstone dust carrying power towards the lamp.
Keep in mind that as soon as you remove the source of power the Redstone lamp turns off. Moreover, you cannot mine a lit Redstone lamp as it turns off when you break it.
Is Copper Bulb Better Than Redstone Lamp
When it comes to controllable light sources, the Redstone lamp isn't the only name in town. With Minecraft 1.21 update, players will have the option to use copper bulbs to control the lighting of their bases. But, is the new block better than the original light source? Let's compare!
- Recipe: Comparatively, copper bulbs have an expensive recipe as they require rare items like blocks of copper and Blaze rod.
- Brightness: Copper bulbs are the only light blocks in the game whose brightness you can control. But, this can also be their weakness. Unless you wax a copper bulb using a honeycomb, it oxidizes over time and loses its brightness.
- Power: You need a constant source of Redstone power to keep a Redstone lamp active. But, the copper bulb remains active after it's powered once. It doesn't even lose its power when you break the Redstone circuit.
- Variants: There are four types of copper bulbs in Minecraft, each with a different color and light level. But, the Redstone lamp doesn't have any variants.
Make and Use Redstone Lamp in Minecraft Today!
With that, you now have access to one of the most powerful light blocks in Minecraft. The next step is to create a space that can use them and Minecraft parkour servers are a great inspiration. They use a variety of building blocks like copper grates and a changing light system for a dynamic experience. Having said that, how are you planning to use the Redstone lamp in Minecraft? Share your plan and discover popular builders’ blueprints on our Discord server!