clock combinator

[Deadly-Bagel]

Ah, I see. Constant combinator is powered so constantly sending [D] = 1 or something. At night the solar panel no longer produces power so the constant combinator can no longer produce its signal. Have this inputting to a circuit on your main power grid testing for [D] and it will know if it's day or night based on if there is a signal or not.

Definitely tidier but still needs to be on its own power grid and takes up 11 squares in a 4x3 block.

[mrvn]

But solar panels give out power and combinators need power to work. No power, no signal.

Ahh, *light bulb going out* . Didn't consider that. So a solar cell, a power pole and a constant combinator all isolated on their own power network will give off any signal wanted whenever there is enough light to power the combinator. Which would be almost all the time but dead of night. Then on a separate (reliable power network) a timer counting up with a reset triggered by the constant combinator going either on or off (edge trigger) will give you time of day. The most space consuming might be to keep the combinator out of reach of other power poles.

[aeros1]

But solar panels give out power and combinators need power to work. No power, no signal.

Ahh, *light bulb going out* . Didn't consider that. So a solar cell, a power pole and a constant combinator all isolated on their own power network will give off any signal wanted whenever there is enough light to power the combinator. Which would be almost all the time but dead of night. Then on a separate (reliable power network) a timer counting up with a reset triggered by the constant combinator going either on or off (edge trigger) will give you time of day. The most space consuming might be to keep the combinator out of reach of other power poles.

Just connect constant combinator to switch which should switch of secondary power consumers. And check for signal on switch. Also power network here is just solar panel(day power producer), Constant combinator(signal modulator), And one wooden pole(or big pole it has lower range so it is easier to fit). This should be isolated power network(pole should have no connections if it has just shift click on it.)

Ps same way and using accumulators you may sorta limit amount of power going on power hungry objects like roboports and laser turrets.

----! A !----
Where "A" is accumulator
"!" - big pole
and "-" wires Both poles are not connecting to each other, so accumulator with limited throughput serves as connection. Sadly it is only way to limit power right now. (at least one that I know)

[mrvn]

Tried that with my main power. Gave up because it needs too many accumulators to transmit 100+MW through them and I didn't have blueprints (nor the space for them). And every time you increase your power needs you have to add accumulators at the point where you split power networks, not for storage bad just to pass through the power.

Didn't feel like a usable concept.