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"...that a ~2mm section of the printed circuit had a gap in it..."
Does it look like this "gap" is an intentional design feature, or is it a charred crater resulting from 1000 amps zipping through the ohms function at the speed of a nuclear reaction?
"The thin covering over this stretch of the circuit was also gone..."
Now this is a provocative statement. If it's not there now, how do you know it once was there?
And if you DO know that it was once there, then you probably know what it once looked like.
But, anyway........ "A DIY fix myself or take it in?"
Absolutely a DIY. Here's why: They'll probably charge you $59 to fix a $39 meter. And since they really only cost the store $18, they'll toss yours and give you a new one. So you have nothing to lose by trying. And you can always take it in afterwards.
It was probably a "fusable link." Solder a chunka wire across, it'll never again vaporize. (Next time it'll be 1/2" down.)
Remember, a good education always costs a lot. You never learn from a cheap lesson (least I never did).
"...if I solder it myself, the calibration may be affected due to changes in resistance etc if not done just right?"
Just do it. It can't get much worse, and if you don't like the results, THEN take it in for repairs. Or junk it. Don't sweat the resistance.
Don Foster (near Cape Cod, MA)
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