Looking for a descender or climbing device with a "neutral" mode

[snunyabizness]

As the title says, I'm looking for a device, preferably a single rope tool, that can be locked into a neutral phase where the rope can pull straight through it, then be switched to an engaged position to catch the rope. Does any of the devices out there do this?

For context, on crane removals with long limb walks, I prefer to run a second tie in to the center of the tree. Doubled rope to the crane ball and SRT to the tree. When coming back from setting slings I tighten the SRT line and rapel off of the doubled rope to drift back to the cut. The reason for the "neutral" is to allow the SRT rope to run through the device hands free if I'm busy with other task as the crane is moving, such as pushing limbs out of the way or straightening out slings...

Currently I run an akimbo or rope runner on that rope and I just collaps the bird to slack it, however if I'm busy or forget to grab it, it plays tug o war with the crane cable until I fix it making it harder on the operator to set me where he wants to.

unicender with correct rope diameter falls through the device sometimes to ghr ldvel of annoyance

 

[moss]

unicender with correct rope diameter falls through the device sometimes to ghr ldvel of annoyance

Ha yes. Which is why when advancing an anchor on a Rope Wrench I pull up the slack I need to capture the next anchor, tie a slip knot above the wrench and lock it down on the bird. Disappearing slack (when you don't want it to happen) when the tail of the rope is heavy enough has always been a problem in need of fixing.
-AJ

 

[moss]

I think it's playing with fire to have a hitch-compressor, hitch-RW collapse-er, bird hold down etc on a life support ppe piece of equipment. you could see why - one mistake operationally and ....

From a high-level safety perspective yes. For the situation described tied into a tree and a crane ball at the same time it's basically an "on/off" switch. When the bird is compressed it won't grab which is what the operator wants. The bird constraint idea is specifically for the OP's scenario.

Off the top of anyone's head, any dangerous situations you can come up with for an accidentally constrained bird on a wrench or mechanical while anchored into a tree and a crane ball?
-AJ