I'm doing a "stepped" temp test now. I have 2 1/2 bricks in the smoker, as the original test, and moved the sensor back to the factory location. I placed the Maverick sensor under a shelf, very close to the unit sensor location. I also added a pan of water next to the smoke box. No wood.
When set to 120, the temps stabilized very close. Once it stabilized, the controller was reading 122, and the Maverick 120 and holding. I just bumped it up to 140.
Update 140 band: Controller 140, Mav 145. After about 10 minutes, the Mav has dropped to 133, and the controller is reading 138. Gonna let it ride awhile longer at 140.
Upate 140 band: Set at 140, controller is cycling, and now displaying 144, with 154 on the Maverick. Hmmm. Now 156 on Maverick, 145 on controller. Not sure why it's not shutting down the heat.
Update 140 band: OK, the 140 setting is definitely problematic. Controller reads 150, Maverick 158. I've bumped the temp, again, to 160. We'll see how that band does.
Update 160 band: This held close for awhile, but once the controller starting cycling, it climbed to 168/171. It has just dropped back to 166/169.
It's now swung the opposite way: 167/163. The box temp is lower than the controller reading.
Now 160/156. Bumped temp to 180.