Lighting — Power Supplies & Drivers

An LED bar or panel is not a lamp you simply plug into the wall. The diodes run on DC, and on the smaller models the part that provides it comes separately: a power supply or a driver. Buy the wrong one and the lamp either will not start, or it will start and last less long than it should.

The name states exactly what it carries

The Cosmorrow supplies from Secret Jardin are named as count times wattage. A 2x20W feeds two 20 watt bars; a 1x40W feeds one 40 watt bar. So add up your bars and their wattage first, then read the name as though it were the sum. More on the bars themselves under supplemental lighting.

The range does not run equally far in both wattages

At 20 watts there are versions for one, two, three and five bars. At 40 watts only for one and two. Hang more 40 watt bars than that and you split them across several supplies rather than looking for one that carries the lot. Check this before ordering the bars, because it decides how many supplies you need alongside them.

Leave headroom, because heat costs service life

A supply running permanently at its limit runs hot, and heat is what eventually breaks the electronics inside it. If you land exactly on the maximum, take the next size up. That is cheaper here than it sounds, because you keep the supply longer than the lamp.

Drivers for the heavier fixtures

The Lumatek 650W VF Series driver belongs with the vertical farming bars and runs several at once. It is dimmable, which means you set the intensity at the driver rather than at the lamp. For controlling complete fixtures centrally, look under Dimmers & Controllers, which is a different layer.

Frequently asked questions

Does my lamp come with a supply?
The larger fixtures have one built in. The separate bars usually do not. It is stated on the lamp's product page.

Can I take a heavier supply than I need?
Yes, and it is often sensible. A supply delivers what the lamp asks for rather than its maximum, so buying generously costs a little more and buys you headroom.

Can one supply run bars of different wattages?
Work with the total and check the figure on the product page. The names assume matching bars, so with a mixed set you have to add up yourself.