On Sun, 28 Oct 2012 05:33:31 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

Make a DIY bandsaw tension gauge:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iAkRLvLAvI

Apparently, I have been applying way too little tension on my blades. Now I have a much better idea of where I should be w/ tension.

(I was never a big fan of the pluck and listen for a tone technique.)

FWIW, you will hear a lot of different thoughts on blade tension and
the proper setting. One thing to bear in mind is that the right blade
can affect how much tension you need. Too much sawdust caught in the
gullets will force the blade to shift off line and cause rough cuts.
Lower feed rates can help, but a 3 TPI blade has been recommended as a
good blade and I have found it works well for me. Given that, you can
use a lower tension and get good results, even in a wide resaw.

The benefit to your saw is less stress on the frame and less stress on
the wheels.

Fine Woodworking has some info presented by Michael Fortune that
suggests all this and also has tips to adjust blade tracking to
correct for drift. If you think about it, having the blade slightly
forward or slightly back of the top of the crown on the wheel will
cause the blade to twist. That causes drift.

Using the adjust blade tracking technique means you don't need to
adjust the fence to compensate for drift.