Mars Hydro - FC-3000 EVO

The FC-3000 EVO is a 300 watt bar fixture producing 855 µmol/s of light, meant for a square 90 × 90 cm growing area in flower. The dimmer sits on the lamp and several units can be linked in series.

Two efficiency figures on one lamp, and why both are right

In this range you will meet two numbers that both go by the name efficiency: 3.14 µmol/J and 2.85 µmol/J. They do not contradict each other, they measure different things. The first is what a single diode does, measured by the company that makes the diode. The second is what the complete fixture does, measured at the wall socket, with the driver and every loss included.

That gap of nearly a tenth is not waste in the careless sense. A driver converts mains voltage and that always costs something, diodes give slightly less once they warm up, and not every diode in the fixture is the same type. So the whole-fixture number is the lower one, and at the same time the only one that tells you what you get back for your electricity bill.

Why this matters when comparing: plenty of brands print only the diode figure, because it is the higher one. If you cannot find a number for the complete fixture anywhere, the quoted figure is almost always the diode's, and you are comparing two things that do not compare. Mars Hydro gives both, and the list below carries the whole-fixture number.

Technical Specifications:

• Model: FC-3000-EVO
• Power: 300 W
• Light output: 855 µmol/s PPF
• Efficiency: 2.85 µmol/J for the complete fixture
• Efficiency per diode: 3.14 µmol/J, the diode maker's figure
• Flowering coverage: 90 × 90 cm
• Current: around 1.3 A at 230 V
• Dimmer: built in
• Cooling: passive, wave-shaped heat sink without a fan
• Weight: 11.5 kg

Frequently asked questions

Which of the two efficiency figures should I use?
The whole-fixture one, so 2.85 µmol/J. Only that number says anything about your consumption.

Why do some brands quote only one number?
Usually because it is the diode figure, which looks better. Ask for the other one when it is missing.

Which diodes does it use?
Mars Hydro moved to a different brand of diode during the life of this range. We therefore name no manufacturer. The stated values for the fixture are unchanged.

Is this lamp right for 100 × 100 cm?
In flower we hold to 90 × 90 cm. For a full square metre, look at the FC-4800 EVO.