Horizontal output cathode current/flyback overheat

[Chad Hauris]

I've got 2 round color sets, a GE and a Wards, that are based on the CTC-16 chassis. I have been noticing a smell like an overheated flyback recently. The flyback compartment door is hot. I have checked the horiz output, damper, HV rect. and regulator tubes. The sets otherwise appear to operate OK.

These sets have been modified to include a 1/4 amp horiz output cathode fuse. The fuse blows very gently after the set has been on for a 1/2 hour indicating that cathode current may be around 260 ma (which is probably too much).

However when I use my digital multimeter to measure current I only come up with 20 ma current. Could my meter be bad? Anyone else measure this with a digital multimeter successfully?