charging system blues

Trail Beast - That's good advice IF the alternator is not charging.
But IF there is a problem with a poor conduction, going full field could cause more damage.
That's why I suggested verifying the voltage at the alternator output first.
If the voltmeter is giving bad information....
Note what Michael wrote about his voltage tests.
In post #1, the voltmeter appears to contradict the ammeter. If current is flowing to the battery side of the ammeter, then the voltage from the alternator side must be higher.
In post #11, it shows battery voltage everywhere. With no load, this means nothing. If the engine was running, the ammeter should have shown slight discharge, not charge, if it was real.
In post #11 Michael says there is no power at the alternator output (Black) wire. If true, this indicates a break in the wiring. That's why I sugguested rechecking after verifying the voltmeter is accurate.