Based on the response to my earlier message, I'm sot sure we are using words the same way.
Cloning - copying the firmware from one PIC to another
Burning, Programming, Loading - installing the firmware in a PIC - usually from a file
Firmware - the software that runs the PIC controller (or processor).
Hex file - computer file with a name like xxx.hex that contains the firmware.
You should download the appropriate hex file from the wiki to and use the pickit to load the firmware into the PIC. Yes, you need the adapter for the dongle, the DMX SSR4, and the MR16. Lately the coop managers have been programming the PICs for us (Many thanks and praises for that), but with the dongle we usually don't coop the parts, so you end up with blank ones...
RJ has done an amazing job designing hardware that just works, is easy to build, and incorporates a lot of nice to haves - like the ICSP connector, meaningful indicator lights, etc. For those of us that have been in the electronics industry a long time, we remember putting EPROMS into UV ovens to erase them, burning them in a separate fixture, then reinstalling them before use.
Adding the ICSP connector would require a reworking of the board layout, prototyping, beta testing, and then finally reach a stage where it becomes economical. You are talking about a significant investment in time and money before it gets to a point that it can be coop-ed. With the upcoming ether-dongle, I personally think the USB dongle is going to become obsolete... I would rather have RJ spending his time on the new stuff than adding the ICSP header to the USB dongle...
Thanks,
RM