Issues testing trigger voltage

[EDL]

I have a Vivitar 285HV and learned that some of the older flash units have pretty high trigger voltages. I've read a number of threads specifically on the Vivitar 285 series and some say the 285 (non-HV) were the ones with 250 volt triggers and the HV's around 6volts. Some say otherwise and that some of the HV's also had high trigger voltages.

So, not wanting to chance my new T3i, I tried to test the trigger voltage on mine, but I don't think my meter is reading correctly. I started out setting the DC voltage range to 250 and the needle didn't even move (and the flash didn't fire). I tried the 50 volt range and the flash fires when I touch the leads to it, but no needle movement. I set it to the lowest range of 0-10 volts and the flash fires and the reading says around 1.5-2 volts DC steady. It can't be this low can it? Wondering if my meter isn't very accurate or something just isn't right in my procedure.

The flash should fire, right? I am touching the negative lead to the side contact and the positive to the main pin. I did try it the other way around and the needle did move in the backward direction so this tells me negative to the side and positive to the pin is correct.

 

[SCraig]

Unless you have a peak-reading meter it's unlikely that you are going to see a reading. The pulse is just too fast. By the time the needle starts to move the pulse is already over so it just drops back to zero. Here's a video on it but I haven't watched it so I don't know how helpful it will be.

Edit ... Disregard the above. There is no pulse, the voltage should be present all the time whether the flash is triggered or not.

 

[EDL]

I guess I need a better meter then.