My meter 'works' with a low battery to check resistors...
 For Voltage readings I'm wondering...[A little preface is in order]...
 The voltage starts reading high...like a battery that tastes like it's between 8-9v will read somethng like 14.8v...so I know this is wierd to ask...
 Even with the higher readings, does anyone know if the ratios stay the same? LIke for instance biasing a FF, if I read '14'v battery, and set the collector for '7'v...is the ratio the same...or is there a curve 'added'...I'm thinking that it's still 1/2 of supply...
 I kn ow I should just replace the battery, but they're sort of expensive...I use alkalines, and only last a short while [bout less than a month] even with nominal use before the Voltages readings start 'drifting up'.
 I just want to know if using the readings as 'comparators'...looking at the fractions, %ages, or ratios [instead of the actual V numbers] is viable for setting up biases...cause that's what I've been doing...and it seems to work....but I'm wondering 'technically' if the ratios would stay the same
 Lazy...I could go get a fresh battery and a calculator and figure it out...I figure someone might 'just know'...
 Someone requested voltage readings from a working Tripple Fuzz, I thought I'd better check before I relay any info from a DMM with a dying battery...plus I'm just curious...

I put a recharged Ni Mh in the meter, tasted pretty fresh.
 Still getting 14+v reading from a more than slightly used Duracell Alkaline...
 I suppose there's no recourse for a meter like this...[I'm figureing it's 'failed'?]

What meter is it?
I've never known a meter eat batteries ike this.  (unless I accidentally leave it turned on).

actually, the "dying battery" trick in DMM's is a pretty old one, used by jimi hendrix's legendary effects builder, Roger Mayer.  Since then, it has often been re-created, but with little of the perfection that Mayer provied...

when reading that I was like "voltage function requires a battery...?  OOHH DMM.  Gotta get me one of those.  

(analog rules!)