Mars Hydro - FC-E8000

The FC-E8000 is the largest model in the FC-E range: 800 watts, 2240 µmol/s of light output and an efficiency of 2.8 µmol/J, meant for a 150 × 150 cm growing area in flower.

The number of bars decides how even the field is

Two lamps of the same wattage can produce very different fields, and the reason is how their diodes are spread across the width. Put them on four bars and you get four strips of strong light with weaker strips between them. Spread the same wattage over more bars set further apart and the cones merge into one another before they reach your canopy, leaving you a flatter field.

In a 150 × 150 cm space that counts for more than in a small tent. The distance from centre to corner is over a metre here, and light that has to come from a single point loses far more on the way than light already spread across the area at source. That is exactly why this range moves to more bars at the larger sizes rather than to a stronger lamp of the same build.

What to do with that: extend every bar fully, even if the tent is tight, and hang the fixture level. A bar left at an angle or half folded makes the distribution uneven at precisely the place it matters most. And hanging it lower to gain intensity actually makes the field less even, because the cones then have less room to merge.

Technical Specifications:

• Model: FC-E8000
• Power: 800 W
• Light output: 2240 µmol/s PPF
• Efficiency: 2.8 µmol/J for the complete fixture
• Diodes: Bridgelux
• Flowering coverage: 150 × 150 cm
• Current: around 3.5 A at 230 V
• Weight: 18 kg
• Construction: foldable, multiple bars
• Cooling: passive, wave-shaped heat sink without a fan

Frequently asked questions

Can I run the lamp half folded in a tight tent?
Better not. You then lose the even distribution that the multi-bar build exists to give you.

Will hanging it lower increase my yield?
You gain intensity in the centre and a less even field at the edges. At this size that is rarely a win.

Will this lamp suit a 120 × 120 cm tent?
You would give more light than the canopy can use. The FC-E6500 is meant for that size.

How does it differ from the FC-8000 EVO?
In the diodes. This range uses Bridgelux chips and reaches 2.8 µmol/J, while the FC range sits slightly above that.