> whats the best way to test to make sure the program works properly
> before burning it into a  PIC12c50x , since their o.t.p.

i was going along pretty good with a window '509. mine only
cost me $12 bucks, though. (Parallax).

when i learned (!) that the JW part does not like 9 volts supplied
where 5 was called for (never mind exactly how *that* happened)
i was dead in the water.

i got some mileage using a simulator. i usually rough out the code
that way anyway.

what i did to get back on the air until replacement JW parts come
in (are they out of stock everywhere they don't sell for $31?)
was to lash up a 16F84 onto an 8-pin socket so that it would look and
act a lot like a '509.

worked pretty good and i only got burned (so to speak) once by using
a little more stack depth than actually exists on the '509.

-- rob