It can even be nerfed, if the only way to "see" the rope moving is using a detector block/buddy block. Maybe pulling the rope is very tiring, like the handcrank? It doesn't seem overpowered.
It is definitely not like lens:
- -It is only vertical
-It requires a lot of ropes - resources
-It is more basic and primitive
-It is temporary like a button
-It requires a rope "block" in every block - the lens requires air (or glass)
It CAN NOT be automated by anything! you have to pull the rope yourself. That means you can't have a machine send a lot of pulses simultaneously - unlike the lens.
I personally think it is a "primitive" solution to a problem that can be automated using better resources and circuits. Just like handcrank and windmill, or furnace and kiln.