Thanks for the response Riva,
Firstly, I've attached the breadboard layout I'm using, as it didn't appear correctly in my original post.
What I have is a FTDI USB Cable, a bit like the one below, but it came with a 8-pin header rather than a standard 6-pin one. I've since removed the header to get it to fit my breadboard (I'll attach a photo of the original header) and am using the black, brown, red, orage, yellow and green wires as shown in the breadboard layout. I'm totally unsure if that should work - the cables may well be completely incompatible.
I think I did install the correct bootloader. I followed the instructions on the same page you linked to, using the setup pictured on the right at the bottom of the page. I had to make a change in the avrdude.conf file as i'm using the Non-P version of the ATMEGA 328 chip, but it seemed to work correctly. Also, i was using the latest version of the IDE, and had Arduino UNO selected, so i think it should be the correct bootloader. I've run the Chip Detector sketch supplied by Nick Gammon and i get the results below, so it looks like the bootloader is on there - Well, it looks like a bunch of numbers are on there XD . The results are below:
Atmega chip detector.
Entered programming mode OK.
Signature = 1E 95 14
Processor = ATmega328
Flash memory size = 32768
LFuse = FF
HFuse = DE
EFuse = FD
Lock byte = CF
Clock calibration = 9A
Bootloader in use: Yes
EEPROM preserved through erase: No
Watchdog timer always on: No
Bootloader is 512 bytes starting at 7E00
Bootloader:
7E00: 11 24 84 B7 14 BE 81 FF F0 D0 85 E0 80 93 81 00
7E10: 82 E0 80 93 C0 00 88 E1 80 93 C1 00 86 E0 80 93
7E20: C2 00 80 E1 80 93 C4 00 8E E0 C9 D0 25 9A 86 E0
7E30: 20 E3 3C EF 91 E0 30 93 85 00 20 93 84 00 96 BB
7E40: B0 9B FE CF 1D 9A A8 95 81 50 A9 F7 CC 24 DD 24
7E50: 88 24 83 94 B5 E0 AB 2E A1 E1 9A 2E F3 E0 BF 2E
7E60: A2 D0 81 34 61 F4 9F D0 08 2F AF D0 02 38 11 F0
7E70: 01 38 11 F4 84 E0 01 C0 83 E0 8D D0 89 C0 82 34
7E80: 11 F4 84 E1 03 C0 85 34 19 F4 85 E0 A6 D0 80 C0
7E90: 85 35 79 F4 88 D0 E8 2E FF 24 85 D0 08 2F 10 E0
7EA0: 10 2F 00 27 0E 29 1F 29 00 0F 11 1F 8E D0 68 01
7EB0: 6F C0 86 35 21 F4 84 E0 90 D0 80 E0 DE CF 84 36
7EC0: 09 F0 40 C0 70 D0 6F D0 08 2F 6D D0 80 E0 C8 16
7ED0: 80 E7 D8 06 18 F4 F6 01 B7 BE E8 95 C0 E0 D1 E0
7EE0: 62 D0 89 93 0C 17 E1 F7 F0 E0 CF 16 F0 E7 DF 06
7EF0: 18 F0 F6 01 B7 BE E8 95 68 D0 07 B6 00 FC FD CF
7F00: A6 01 A0 E0 B1 E0 2C 91 30 E0 11 96 8C 91 11 97
7F10: 90 E0 98 2F 88 27 82 2B 93 2B 12 96 FA 01 0C 01
7F20: 87 BE E8 95 11 24 4E 5F 5F 4F F1 E0 A0 38 BF 07
7F30: 51 F7 F6 01 A7 BE E8 95 07 B6 00 FC FD CF 97 BE
7F40: E8 95 26 C0 84 37 B1 F4 2E D0 2D D0 F8 2E 2B D0
7F50: 3C D0 F6 01 EF 2C 8F 01 0F 5F 1F 4F 84 91 1B D0
7F60: EA 94 F8 01 C1 F7 08 94 C1 1C D1 1C FA 94 CF 0C
7F70: D1 1C 0E C0 85 37 39 F4 28 D0 8E E1 0C D0 85 E9
7F80: 0A D0 8F E0 7A CF 81 35 11 F4 88 E0 18 D0 1D D0
7F90: 80 E1 01 D0 65 CF 98 2F 80 91 C0 00 85 FF FC CF
7FA0: 90 93 C6 00 08 95 80 91 C0 00 87 FF FC CF 80 91
7FB0: C0 00 84 FD 01 C0 A8 95 80 91 C6 00 08 95 E0 E6
7FC0: F0 E0 98 E1 90 83 80 83 08 95 ED DF 80 32 19 F0
7FD0: 88 E0 F5 DF FF CF 84 E1 DE CF 1F 93 18 2F E3 DF
7FE0: 11 50 E9 F7 F2 DF 1F 91 08 95 80 E0 E8 DF EE 27
7FF0: FF 27 09 94 FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF 04 04
MD5 sum of bootloader = FB F4 9B 7B 59 73 7F 65 E8 D0 F8 A5 08 12 E7 9F
First 256 bytes of program memory:
0: FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF
10: FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF
20: FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF
30: FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF
40: FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF
50: FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF
60: FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF
70: FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF
80: FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF
90: FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF
A0: FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF
B0: FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF
C0: FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF
D0: FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF
E0: FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF
F0: FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF
As regards the delay, I've tried with a whole range of delays and it doesn't seem to make any difference, so i don't think it is that.
