Stan, I think I got it, especially the 5 volt part. I looked up the 74xx series ICs and there must be 20 or 30 variations, AC, HC, LS, etc...This can be mighty confusing for a green horn.
GRJ, the PICKIT 4 is on my next Digikey order, they had it for $47.95. The things you point out make it sound well worth the cost, especially for a green horn that needs all the help he can get.