Hi David, I totally agree about learning, I learn something every day in this trade.

However the term "drop test" refers to a method of testing and not a piece of equipment.

A volt meter measures the PD between any two points in a circuit, now if we feed 12 volts in one end of a piece of wire, we should get 12 volts out the other end.

So if we connect the volt meter in parallel with the wire the meter should read Zero because 12 volts in, equals 12 volts out the other end.

However if there is a problem in the wire as in your case, the meter will read the difference in voltage between the two ends of the wire and help you pinpoint the problem.

I hope this helps as it is not my intention to belittle anyone.

Regards Mark