So I've figured out that my video problem is specifically my VTx. It's not the camera, it's not the cabling, it's not the way that I've powered it, and its not the channel... Before I call it defective I figured I'd ask you all first.

So I have the Eachine ET200R 5.8G 40CH 200mW Mini AV FPV Transmitter with RaceBand.

First big "ah-ha"... I learned about RP-SMA vs SMA... boy isn't that a nice little trick to play... could one call it a transgender connector? that's probably insensitive but I don't mean it that way... the good news is I have an antenna with RP-SMA female end on it. No wonder that antenna wasn't worth a darn on the stupid vortex! I am so cheezed off by the whole thing, I can't even tell you.

Anyway, I wouldn't think that the polarity of the connector would matter would it? It's still coax... signal travels over the center conductor right?

I isolated the receiver from the quad, powered it separately on 12v on my PDB experiment (specs say it's powered by 3s batteries, but also says it can take 7-24v input) and no luck... still get spinning bars that give me motion sickness through the goggles if I leave them on for more than a second.

I isolated the camera from the receiver... I've plugged it into my TV (cool part is it now says my handle on it)... and I just so happen to have another super fat useless VTx that I could test and wouldn't you know after I figured out how to wire it without butchering any more cables it worked just fine... in fact I am really impressed with the 1177 camera!

What else should I do before I send it back to Amazon?

Don't know if it has anything to do with your problem, but another dirty little trick they pay on us is that antennae come in both left-hand and right-hand circular polarity.

Yeah, everything I have is RHCP so I am OK on that one... I learned that one before paying for any of the 7 or 8 antennas that I have. It's one of those concepts that I was like "oh neat! I never would have thought about that"

I'm not sure I understood you correctly or not, but if you powered up your VTx with wrong polarity antenna (SMA on VTx, RP-SMA antenna), then you might be responsible for the VTx not working. I know that powering up a VTx without an antenna can damage it - I think powering it up with out the center pin connection has the same danger (someone correct me if I'm wrong).

Good news is.. I accidentally used the right antenna without knowing it!

I was like "I'll start with this crappy black sheep antenna that didn't work on the vortex while I build because it's short"

Turns out it's female rp-sma... if anything was damaged it would have been the vortex actually because I tried it on that one but it was standard SMA (vtx us fine even post abuse)

When I realized that the connector was different was when I tried to install a tried and true fatshark mushroom SMA male and realized I had an um... awkward situation...

Not that there wasn't romance and all... I'm modern and progressive... but they weren't quite "compatible" if you know what I mean...

I've ordered a new Foxeer VTx and will start the return process for the Eachine soon. I am pretty sure that I just have a defective unit.