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Saving Grace

LynTec affordable, flexible power control solutions manage the unique power control needs of Grace Community Church

From the outside, the new home of Grace Community Church in Brentwood, Tennessee, appears humble, even inconspicuous. The inside tells a completely different story, with rich, awe-inspiring wooden beams and soaring ceiling. The tall, narrow, and attic-less structure posed unique challenges for installing the church’s audio, video, and lighting. Due to the unique nature of how glulam buildings are constructed, the lighting conduit had to be run as the roof went up. Thus, restricting how many circuits could be added. As a result, it was necessary to split power relay between two panels, one located on the first floor of the front the building and one at the back of the building. However, having multiple panels can create a complicated operation workflow.  Integrated Production Solutions (IPS) — the AVL designer and integrator on the project — always has a mission to maintain a simple and efficient process for its customers, from the solutions they design around to the end-user experience.

“We didn’t want the staff to have to manage two or three independent systems,” said Bryan Levy, IPS’s integration systems designer. “It increases the likelihood that something will be left on. The need for a networked power control solution was a must. It would bridge the two panels and simplify operation, allowing the staff to power on and off the system from one switch.”

When it comes to power control, IPS relies on LynTec power control. As many church’s enrich their AVL outfit with increasingly robust and sophisticated equipment once found only in live production and entertainment venues, it demands superior power control. LynTec not only provides power control options that are reliable, easy to install, and simple to use but also affordable enough for even the smallest worship organizations.

Grace Community’s lighting outfit included 18 fixtures of Chauvet Ovation E-260WW, two Ayrton Perseo-S LEDs, six Elation KL Fresnel 8, and six Chauvet Ovation E-910FC. On the video side, IPS installed two squareV LED walls on either side of the stage. Audio includes a multi-element d&b audiotecknik PA in the facility as well. All of the lighting, video, and sound runs through LynTec, supported with Luxul’s L2/L3 managed switches.

LynTec broad array of power control solutions allow church staff and volunteers to energize and de-energize audio, video, and lighting components that use an array of control protocols — whether its DMX, sACN, HTTP, Telnet, RS-232 or BacNET — seamlessly, properly, and safely. The system also prolongs the life cycle of equipment and eliminates the old process of going into an electrical room and turning breakers on and off.

On average, churches and their gear are used only 5% of the week. The rest of the time, it’s quietly using energy while not in use. With the audio, video, and lighting equipment completely powered off, Grace Community would be able to save money in utility costs every year.

“The reality of cycling on and off breakers — no matter how few — just to turn on the system is not realistic. Facilities tend to leave their stuff on or they forget to turn it off. LynTec becomes a natural, consistent part of the system operation, making it near impossible to forget to power everything down and keeps things from burning out prematurely, especially in churches, where the equipment isn’t being actively used on a daily basis.”

LynTec’s affordable power control options deepened the cost savings by allowing IPS to select only the size needed without any loss in features. In this case, the integrator opted for the RPC-348 master panel that is installed on the second floor. At the back of the building behind the stage, a RPCR Automated Relay Panel with eight relays was installed, which was more than sufficient to provide the church to sequence on those circuits at that end.

In front of house, IPS installed the XRS 20 rack sequencer to ensure the console is shut off in proper order. The rack sequencer eliminated the need to wire everything back to the RPC-R panel. It’s tied into the panel from the 1RU rack-mounted enclosure powered from a 20-amp circuit. It provides control to three duplex receptacles, each with a separate relay switch for onboard sequencing. Together, these solutions simplified an otherwise complicated project, eliminating the need for an electrician to wire the entire building and the extra labor costs involved. All the circuits can be turned off with one LynTec SS-2LRP key switch at front of house.

“I have it set up to trigger two zones simultaneously, which is the lighting and videos zone, and then the audio zone,” said Levy. “That way it doesn’t take long to boot up, but I’m still maintaining the sequence and the timing between sequences that I want, especially for the amplifiers and the console.”

We were able to meet their needs and budget, and still maintain our high standards as well as the fire marshal’s. LynTec’s fire alarm contact closure was a fantastic feature that took all of 2 seconds to program. When the life safety alarm sounds, the LynTec safely shuts off all the amplifiers to ensure everyone can hear the alert. The fire marshall was really blown away because other power control panels have a proprietary system that make the override complex.”

LynTec is a saving grace, in more ways than one.

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