I had similar troubles with overheating. I had not cleaned the ash out of my grill for quite some time due to laziness. I cleaned by grill and haven't had any problems since. Now I am cleaning my grill at regular intervals and my grill is performing great.
Whatever you do, don't buy a Thermopro. I've been through 3 of them already. They are poor quality and when they replace your item under warranty, they replace it with a cheaper unit than what you origianlly purchased. My advice is to spend a little more upfront and save money on future...
That's interesting. I'm wondering how the fat from the point affects the flat. It is my understanding that intramuscular fat is what makes a cut juicy, not the fat on the outside. I'm no Aaron Franklin though. He probably knows what he's talking about.
I use the Recteq meat probes exclusively and have had great succes with them. I did have to calibrate them though. Since I have calibrated them they have been spot on. Moving forward, I will ocassionally test them to verify accuracy and make any necessary adjustments. Calibrating them is easy...
I like to separate the point and flat before cooking but I am definitely in the minority with this method. I just find it easier to get an even cook with less dry pieces this way. If anyone has a good reason to keep them together, please tell me.