Is there a separate position for you to select volts and a different position on the dial to measure mA ?

 

Yes and I own a voltmeter too.

 

OK , if you removed the negative cable from the battery post and had the meter set for mA and placed the black lead on the negative battery post and the red lead on the cable end you should get the correct mA reading.
As mentioned earlier you can also do this without disconnecting the battery cable by having the meter settings set the same setting as above just place the meter probes on the two fuse clips with the fuse removed and everything in that circuit has to go through the meter and will give you the draw reading.
You can choose whichever is easiest for you. Would like to know what reading you get.

 

I get 10 unless I remove that one fuse. Even with that fuse removed, if the cables are hooked up and I put the multimeter across the battery posts, I get 10. The wind chill is below zero and snowing here, so checking anything else will be tomorrow. It is my understanding, that if I put an AC voltmeter on to check the charge when the vehicle is running and it shows any AC then a diode is bad. Is that right?

 

To answer your question, YES ! Very little is permissible.
I'm wondering what voltage you are showing at the battery when the engine is stopped and when the engine is running with nothing else on.
Should be 12.2 or more stopped and 14.2 running with no load.
You have me thoroughly confused with the 10 and how you are getting that on the battery with nothing on , cables connected or disconnected with the meter set to mA scale. The one cable has to be off and the meter placed between the post and the cable end set to the mA setting not the voltage setting. There is no way you can get volts and amps from the same setting on the meter because you should get one or the other.
It doesn't take much to confuse me and you are doing a fine job!
Let's hope the weather is more cooperative in a day or so.

 

With my voltmeter, I get about 12.4 with the engine not running and about 14.3 with it running. With the multimeter set on vma, it shows a draw of 10, if I put the leads on the battery posts. This is with the cables connected and the vehicle not running.

 

OK , now I see said the blind man.
What you get as far as voltage readings are concerned are good and normal.
What you are getting with the 10 is not useless , but close to it.
You are measuring something in the battery and not in the circuit you want to check.
When the weather gets better try the procedures I suggested earlier, keeping in mind everything in the circuit must go thru the meter probes not the battery and not the fuse OK.
You can do voltage drop testing and accomplish the same thing, but it is a little confusing to guys that don't do it all the time.
If you can try looking at a couple videos on u tube for voltage drop testing.

 

This is what I did. I got the 10, unless I removed that one fuse, then it went to zero.

 

It is possible something is coming on after the vehicle is parked.
The 10 ma is well within accepted specs.
What if you pulled that one fuse and waited the usual day or two and see if there is any difference?
Clocks in those days would make contact inside through a coil and electrically wound against a spring and run from that every few minutes . If that is the type clock in there it could be getting tired.
You didn't get that battery at Autozone too did ya ?

A late breaking thought, how tight is the belt that drives the alt? They can slip and make no noise and still not charge the battery all the time.

 

I left that fuse out. As soon as it warms a little, I am putting the new alternator on and a new belt. Guess we will see if that fixes it.