Are you suggesting to put the rig spacer on the slick pin? My first inclination is that it wouldn't work, but it's an interesting idea. Let us know if you try it!
This is what I'm using right now...
View attachment 62106
Straight valdotain, more wraps than most think I would need, but it works for me. I have the fixe pulley under mine, that wouldn't work on your hhx of course. I tie it a little tight, than give it a couple bounces and it sets it all real nice and tending becomes good. Without the bounces, it would be real hard to tend untill it went thru a couple of tension cycles.
Yes RJB, exactly like that, directly on the Slic Pin. The Rig Spacer just fits inside there with a bit of room to rotate/roll with the cordage.
The downside is (& i don't even know if it's a downside), the pin sits/rests up higher in it's slot because of the Spacer causing it to grab earlier. This is the safety concern i feel i may or may not be overlooking.
One of the attributes that the HHX possesses is no change in tending as the shackle pivots. It is, in fact, a primary component of its design.
Unfortunately, having that attachment, shackle or carabiner, pivot will not achieve the smoothest and lightest tending, imho, and pivoting will increase setback. The best tending (also with the least setback) will be when the link stays straight from hitch to bridge ring. I have only been able to do this with a pulley on the carabiner/bridge ring. I don't see how you could do this with the HHX.
I think i follow what your saying DSMc..
As far as setback, having the spacer in there creates a situation where there is only a quarter of the "slot" travel, so i believe it is engaging way way earlier.. Whether that's good, bad or has its own drawbacks all together, i do not know yet.
All in all, I have yet to figure out whether this Spacer is acting as i hoped it would, It feels like IT IS..... i can hear the spacer rolling like a sheave when i tend & the hitch seems to break easier... As to you point about tending not changing as the shackle pivots, in my mind it's a larger surface to pull the rope around, hence it should be easier to do so.
Regardless of if this works or not & regarding my concerns..
I had originally put my Smaller Pinto Spacer in there thinking it was the larger one.. it isn't as wide as the cordage & the pronounced edges of it were going to be pushing into the rope as that bottom shackle engages.. I now have the Rig Spacer in there & it seems to hug the cordage alot nicer, the pronounced edges are almost at the very edge of the cordage where they may or may not even be touching/digging into the cordage..
I'm going to give this a try in a few minutes here on quick job I need to do at home. My concerns about are more saftey than anything.. if it don't work i can just toss it, but if it does, i want to know I'm not overlooking something important.