I use PicStart Plus and, while it is expensive at first, it seems to be the
most compatible and has the least hassles. It does have some drawbacks
especially when you are burning chips with lots of memory (it takes longer
than some of the other programmers).  It has the advantage of being
supported by MicroChip and it comes with enough documentation to make you
feel comfortable.  In addition, MPLAB software recoginzes it and plays well
with it.

I have also built and used Peter Anderson's Morgan PIC programmer
(www.phanderson.com). It is simply a breadboard that you assemble the
components on - which also doubles as a development environment. It is cheap
($49 gets you a solderless breadboard - JE25 - and all the components, plus
documentation and schematics and two 16F84s with resonators - you can buy
the components without the breadboard from Peter and save a lot).  You do
have to buy a third party programming software if you want to do anything
other than 16F84s. The total cost for a complete kit and for the software
would end up around $80.  I think it is a very good alternative.

I have also purchased and used some of the other programmers and they did
NOT come with very good documentation. But then again, this isn't rocket
science so they can be figured out.  They also had to have extra programming
software purchased for them (same software as for the Morgan programmer).

I think the PicStart Plus is the way I would go - but you will get lots of
opinions on this.

Dan

---- Original Message -----
From: Steven Rightnar <rightnar@DOMINION.LLUMC.EDU>
To: <PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU>
Sent: Wednesday, December 08, 1999 1:15 PM
Subject: Finding a beginning PIC programer


> Can I get some sugjestions on finding a programmer. I am a beginner and I
am
> looking for one that would have good supporting documentation. I have
found
> the schematics for many different programmers what worries me is that
after
> I build it I will be on my own to figure out any problems that arise.
>
> With regards,
>
> Steven