The ANENG A3006 pen type multimeter was advertised for sale at about $10. I have a decent multimeter, but desire got the better for me as this would allow me to measure without taking my eye away from the test point.

It duly arrived and I eagerly inserted a couple of Eneloop cells into it. Unfortunately the display backlight was dim, barely visible. I cursed: Cheap s***, that must be why it was so cheap.

Wait, the voltage of a NiMH cell is around 1.2V, so two would provide 2.4V. The multimeter might be able to run with that but I bet the backlight is expecting 3V from a couple of alkaline cells. I bought a six pack and inserted two. Sure enough, the LCD display became readable. It's a pity I can't power this multimeter with rechargeable cells, but hopefully the consumption is low enough for the alkaline cells to have a decent life.