My battery is getting drained bad

I fried an ampmeter when I installed an 80 amp alternator. The ampmeter was set up to go +/- 40 amps. It died when I tried to start the car with a nearly dead battery. The symptom was the car would crank and start, but as soon as the key was released to the Run position, the car died. Quick solution was to put both ampmeter leads on the same post, by-passing the instrument.

The things I have seen take down batteries are anti-theft systems and electronic radios (the ones that use memory in the radio to store station choices rather than mechanically connected pushbuttons). I've also seen underhood and trunk lights take down systems when the lights were controlled by mercury switches and the car was parked on a steep grade.