I haven't done one of those, Karl, but can suggest one possibility on
the com port programmer - Use a power lump & 7805 (or other regulator)
to power your programmer, if you cannot get enough power out of the
serial or parallel port.  Put a series diode (1N4001 style) after the
regulator, and another in the ground lead of the regulator, and you can
make it such that, with the power lump plugged in, you have 5V on the
power bus (and the diodes off the parallel or serial port aren't
conducting at all), and without the lump it'll still run on some
computers.

If you point me at your com port schematic I'll give you more specifics,
if you want.

  Mark

Karl A. Uscroft wrote:
>
> ----  Help,
>
> I just can't get any programmer that I build to work.  I've built a com port
> programmer but I didn't have the voltage out of my computer and now I've
> built David Taits Parallel programmer, and again it doesn't work.  So my
> question is has anyone had problem's with their home made programmers and had
> problems that they have found answers to, because I just can't get mine to do
> anything.
>
> Second thing,  does anyone know were I can get datasheets for the AY3-8912A
> sound chip.  Can't find a thing on the net.
>
> Cheers,  Karl
>
> :-)