In November 2017, Aidan F. Pierce discovered the compact PF35W variant shown in the infobox, which improved the repeat time of the Fx176 to 73 ticks and allowed gliders from following dependent conduits to escape freely.
Several variants of the new key catalyst are known, including welded additions for the Fx176 (of F176, because the pi is symmetrical) that absorb the following Herschel's first natural glider, since a standard fishhook eater doesn't quite fit. (Of course you can use an eater 5, sidesnagger or dependent conduit instead of the weld) Below is a complete Fx176 conduit incorporating the new PF45W.
x = 50, y = 31, rule = B3/S23
22bo$22b3o3b2o$14b2o9bo2bo2b2o$14b2o8b2o3b2o2bo6b2o3bo$31bob3o5bo2bobo
$31bo4bo2bo4bobo$32bobobo2b5obo$31b2ob2o7bo$2o37b2o3bo$bo37bobo3bo$bob
o36bo3b2o$2b2o$25b2o$27bo$25b2o4$2bo$2bobo31b2o11bo$2b3o26bo4b2o9b3o$
4bo27bo14bo$30b2o15bo$14b2o8b2o4bo$14b2o2b2o5bo$18bobob3o$20bobo$20b2o
4b2o$25bobo4b2o$25bo6b2o$24b2o!
#C [[ THUMBSIZE 2 THEME 6 GRID GRIDMAJOR 0 SUPPRESS THUMBLAUNCH ]]
#C [[ AUTOSTART GPS 20 LOOP 256 X -3 PAUSE 2 T 95 PAUSE 2 T 130 PAUSE 2 T 176 PAUSE 2 WIDTH 600 HEIGHT 480 THUMBSIZE 2 ]]