multimeter

I dismantled and rebuilt a DIY hood with 2 T5-HOs and can't figure out why it's not working. Can you test the output of a ballast - as in what contacts the lamp pins - with a cheapo electrical multimeter or would it explode? What voltage comes out of the ballast?

Wharyat or anyone who could answer - if a multimeter states its accuracy at ± ([% of reading] + [counts]): 0.5% + 2 and you get a 150mV reading what is the accuracy of the actual reading? I'm a little confused. Range 600.0mV and resolution .1mV. I just bought an Apogee sq-120/electric (before...