RE: Serious Needle Tuning problems.
Tuning will be easier once you fully break it in, how many tanks have you run through it? You should keep it at factory settings when tuning which should always be rich.
As for the Idle screw.. have you tried just trimming the throttle via the receiver? Trim it engine off until the throttle is closed completely than turn it one twitch, when it starts trim it accordingly. Usually ive found that poor idle is because of LSN setting. Make sure you dont over tighten the plug, just a firm tightness is sufficient (ooo sounds dirty o_O).
Bogging down can happen when its too rich or lean. Try making it very rich and listen to how the engine sounds. Now make it lean and listen how that sounds. Maybe this will help.
Just make sure you always see atleast some blue smoke coming out of the exhaust. At full speed tap WOT and see if puffs of smoke are coming out.
1/4 turn incriments are kind of big, i would suggest doing at most 1/8 turn incriments. I feel its easier to adjust your HSN first than adjust your LSN for start off acceleration than go back and fine tune HSN.
Wish i could help you but im sort of a beginner in the hobby too. I hope this helps a little. Just some things that made it easier for me to get tuning down. And beleive me it took me a wile.
Best of luck!