And whilst we're asking... I need to move the Decimal Point on my Bank Statement half-a-dozen places to the right... and the DIG command just isn't helping...

Come on, make an effort and do a search on the forum (use SEARCH Tab at top of every page). There's code, pointers to schematics, and heaps of information. Then if that's not enough, a web-search on "RS-485 PIC" will keep you busy for hours.