Yes, if you are having success it is blind luck, or we have missed something important. If I reprogram the pic (fully erase it, load hex & verify), everything is perfect RGBW on channels 1-4. No matter what process I follow, running either of the configuration utilities and trying to set the start channel to 161, it screws up the chip and I am back to the GBW on channels 1-3. Trying to set the start channel to lower values like 24 has even more alarming results, like full green when power is applied. Killed power and reset dongle and no channels would light until I reprogrammed chip.
Lather, rinse, repeat, drink shot of Jameson, lather, rinse, repeat....<fp. <fp.