Old Hatteras Wiring

You probably didn't know what you were looking at. And for what it's worth, utility workers don't carry multimeters "up the pole.

Not that there is anything unusual about not knowing what your friends were doing, few people without high voltage training do and in your case as you have admitted you are not electrically talented. We use the same test gear on diesel electric ships as your lineman friends so I do know that they are very particular about testing their gear. They test it before and after checking. Ask them.

When the problem was identified by the OP as a failed meter ... the sort of thing that testing the meter would have shown ... it's too bad that rather than take a lesson learned you chose to respond to good advice in your typical manner, . That is kind of like bringing a club to a gunfight ... it just makes you look, what's a nice way to put it? Challenged?

You have built in voltage step up transformers, perhaps you should learn how to use them

Maybe you shouldn't make assumptions. Anything else you or Marmot want to add. This thread hasn't been closed yet.

While the thread devolves there are a few things to mention.

First thing is of course the fault description. Here it was short and to the point, but later determined to be faulty. There were some queries that could have uncovered this earlier but they got lost in the thread. So if you are asking a question stay active in the thread and look for and try to answer those questions.

A short where the fuse does not trip is usually called an electrical fire. If not sooner then later. - Really, if you think that you have found a short during trouble shooting where the fuse did not trip immediately investigate. Preferably after de-energizing the circuit.
Same for that particular smell of hot metal, charing plastics and arcs.

QFT
Always test your measurement gear.
Esp. when it comes to voltages.
Esp. the screwdriver type test lights. (Including the fancy ones!)

It just takes a few seconds and becomes muscle memory in no time.

Also, while low voltages are unlikely to kill you high currents will cheerfully do the job indirectly. So 12V, 24V or 32V systems are not a reason to be sloppy. They only hurt less, that is until metal starts to get hot.

I like that way of putting it.