Belden 8218 Mini RG-59 75 Ohm Video Coaxial Cable Substitute Equivalent

Gepco VDM250? 75 ohm, 0.154" OD, 25 AWG stranded center conductor.

I don't know if it's any good or not; I just found it by searching at Markertek. They want $243 for a 1000-foot roll, but don't claim that it is in stock; they claim "normally 3-5 business days".

Markertek also lists Belden 8218 at $257/500 feet, but it has the same "3-5 business days" designation, so your mileage may vary.

It might be worth an email or phone call directly to Belden to ask for a stocking distributor. They probably know who's bought some lately. :)

Standard disclaimers apply; I don't get money or other consideration from any companies mentioned.

Matt Roberds

Thanks again, Matt. The price, free shipping and 3-5 day delay are all better than I saw anywhere. Delays of weeks, even.

Checking on my order for 150ft, it seems it still hasn't shipped, a week after the order was placed ($111/150ft).

I was looking at the Gepco online info, but didn't see the VDM250, and didn't know what SDI meant until I just looked it up.

I figured there were similar coax cables available since I've seen mini coax used in the manufacture of a lot of commercial equipment.

-- Cheers, WB .............

It might be worth a phone call or email before you believe the "3-5 day" figure. You *hope* it means that Markertek is best buddies with Belden and therefore gets access to the secret vault of oddball cables... but if everyone+dog says the Belden cable has weeks of lead time, and Markertek is the only place saying "3-5 days", then it's at least possible that they *always* say "3-5 days" regardless of actual lead time.

I haven't personally ordered anything from Markertek. I just know of them as a source from a previous job, where a co-worker who was doing video and audio stuff would order big bags of XLR connectors and similar "common" items from them, and they would show up reasonably promptly.

I have too, but it's all been RF and test equipment stuff, where the world is 50 ohms.

Matt Roberds

Yep, lots of miniature 50 ohm stuff to choose from and they're well into the GHz.

-- Cheers, WB .............

Do you need stranded / solid poly coax? We use a lot of 1855 at work but it 's solid conductor / foam and 0.159 overall. It does have about half the at tenuation of 8218

G²

Thanks.. the 1855 does appear to be less expensive although larger diameter.

The 8218 stranded center conductor seems to me to be more suitable for jumper test cables and temporary setups (mobile field uses for example), whereas the solid center conductor of other types of coax would seem to me to be more suitable for somewhat permanent installations. Jumpers for test bench use and short lengths of less than 40ft would be adequate for most of my uses.

I was notified by the online seller that my 150ft order of 8218 has been sent (by USPS), so I'll take up the $44 shipping cost with customer service when it's received.