LynTec Power Control Shines a Light on Mexico’s Largest Cathedral

LynTec, a leading manufacturer of innovative electrical power control solutions for professional audio, video, and lighting (AVL) systems, announced that Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral’s beautiful outdoor lighting design is powered through LynTec’s award-winning and patented RPC Remote Control Breaker Panel. Specified by principal consultant and lighting designer Aleksandar Lalicki, the RPC panel distributes and controls power to over 160 LED lighting fixtures illuminating the incredible architecture, statues, and reliefs that make up the cathedral’s façade.

LynTec mexico cathedral

“LynTec is the heart of my LED installations,” said Lalicki. “We used LynTec’s RPC panel because it’s a solid, well-engineered product that’s easy to install, connect, and program as well as protect LED lighting systems with multiple password-protected levels. Also, the control on distance and use of IP for that purpose made RPC panels our first and only choice.”

Lalicki’s design incorporates GRIVEN LED architectural lighting. Brilliant in the quality of light as well as engineering, they feature IP68 connections and seven different optics. The southern façade of the cathedral is lit by 114 fixtures, while the eastern façade has 47. The fixtures are mounted in pairs on custom lamp posts around the perimeter of the church, with two per level covering a specific area of the building.

Although LED lighting provides incredible cost and lighting benefits, it’s essential they are well-supported and protected with an automated power control solution. Without it, fixtures that are left on will continue to draw standby power, burn up faster, and be prone to lockups. To prevent this, Lalicki specified LynTec’s 42-circuit RPC341 panel. He has relied on LynTec panels to provide optimal, easy-to-install power distribution and control on many of his lighting projects that are found throughout Mexico, including the José Peón Contreras Theater and Palacio de la Musica, both in Mérida.

Based on the G3 Powerlink™ hardware platform by Square D and engineered to simplify audio, video, and lighting buildouts by accelerating the installation process, LynTec’s RPC power control panels decrease operating costs with simple wiring that allows electricians to quickly and easily complete install and removes additional steps, costs, and space needed to install a separate relay panel. Available with 30 to 84 controllable breakers per panel, the comprehensive power control solution system provides additional circuit switching control capabilities in the same enclosure and grants flexible lighting control across multiple control zones and multiple control protocols, including HTTP, Telnet, sACN, DMX, RS-232, or contact closure control systems.

The web-enabled control and current monitoring option provides power and energy data on branch circuits and mains, giving the operator an accurate and intelligent vision of capacity, energy use, and reliability. For the ultimate in monitoring and control flexibility, RPC panels are compatible with popular control systems. For the cathedral, Lalicki selected ENTTEC and Swisson DMX controllers. The RPC also features brown-out protection, automatically shutting down selected circuits during over- and under-voltage situations and powering up as programmed when voltage regains stability. For further voltage stability and protection, a SurgeX in-panel surge elimination was added to the RPC.

The LynTec system can completely turn off and on the whole system, deliver power supply protection, and follow an automated schedule using an astronomical clock, so that the lights are never accidentally left on.

“Outdoor lighting serves vital roles in architecture, bringing both security and enjoyment to areas that visitors normally couldn’t experience after dark,” said Mark Bishop, president of LynTec. “We’re honored once again to be part of Aleksandar’s incredible lighting designs and to help eliminate the many obstacles that come with distributing and controlling power to modern architectural lighting installations. We couldn’t be more pleased to be incorporated into this project and help visitors rediscover the cathedral’s grandeur and beauty.”

The LynTec’s award-winning power control solutions have been deployed in over 6,000 audio, video, and lighting installations internationally, including the One World Trade Center, Pixar Animation Studios, NASA, and more.