Morrey:

I was wondering about placement of the pit probe. Your idea using the aligator clip and skewer is outstanding! I assume you use the same technique with other meats like pork shoulder and brisket? How far away from the meat should the pit probe be placed. Does an inch or two do the trick?

I agree that the advice on these message boards is terrific. I've noticed that there is more than one right answer to most questions. It speaks to the forgiving nature of BBQ. So far the worst thing that has come off my WSM was still better than the best salad I ever ate.

Thanks for the great advice!

I like your analogy Phil...a great salad is EASY to beat!! Even a not so well prepared pork butt is darn near outstanding!!

About the bamboo skewer/pit probe: Just make sure to keep the pit probe far enough from the meat so the pit probe is not influenced by the cooler temps of the turkey. Keep as far as possible but close enough to keep readings consistent. I suppose 2-4 inches is good...you can always angle the skewer in so the probe has height equal to the top of the turkey.
I bet you will have a blast just experimenting with various techniques. Then you can post your findings on the board and all of us can try new things you have discovered,
Good smoking Phil.

Sorry Phil...yes, I use the alligator clip and skewer for all meats including turkeys, chickens, butts, loins and briskets.
If you want to go the professional step above the clip/skewer method, BBQ Guru makes a device called a probe tree. This tree provides a place to place your pit probe in a silicone holder. This is the best of all but costs $18 plus shipping. The clip/skewer is just fine and only a couple of dollars.

Why not buy one of these to hold the probe? It's ceamp, adjustable and so on. I think a version without the magnifying glass is just as good as the one in the picture.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helping_hand_%28tool%29