Nothing to be embarrassed about--we all need to learn new things sometimes. Heck, I didn't learn how to use one until I started building pedals when I was nearly 56! Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks???
There are several useful videos on YouTube about how to use a multimeter. Just type
"multimeter tutorial" into the YouTube search box and check out a couple of them.
For this particular test, you need to be able to measure DC voltage at a test point--in this case, the collector of the germanium transistor. Refer to the image below of the multimeter that BYOC sells. Here's what to do:
Power up the pedal with the rear cover removed. Remember that you need to have a cable inserted in the input jack for the circuit to be energized. Prepare your multimeter by inserting the black probe plug into the COM port and the red one into the port immediately above it. Turn the meter on and set the selector to 20 on the DCV scale. Ground the black probe by inserting it into one of the corner screw bosses of the enclosure--now you're ready to take a measurement. Touch the red probe to the collector of the transistor--that's the leg closest to the edge of the PCB, adjacent to the eyelet labeled "OUT". Hold it there for a few seconds until you get a stable reading (it's fine if it fluctuates by a few hundredths of a volt). That's all there is to it. If it's more than a few tenths of a volt away from 7.0V, adjust the trimpot while holding the probe in contact with the collector until you get it into that range. But also keep in mind that the final judge of the correct setting should be what sounds good to your ear...
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“My favorite programming language is SOLDER” - Bob Pease (RIP)
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