You guys should spend some time checking out some other forums. I discovered the Vortex over on Smoked-Meat Forum and I'm so happy that I did. That thing has totally transformed the way I cook with my kettle. I pretty much use it for everything from grilling to smoking. For those wondering, yes...
Yes, sounds like you need to adjust the fan settings as that shouldn't be happening. Do you have a copy of the manual?
www.allchinas.com/prob/Dog-manual.pdf
It was an ATC that a guy over on BBQ Brethren was promoting. Picked it up for like $58 shipped which was hard to beat. I've used it several times on my Kettle and my UDS with great success. Both hold temp pretty well on their own, however adding the ATC really does allow me to walk away from...
No prob. I had mine media blasted clean which took it back to the bare aluminum. After the first few cooks it has already developed a nice seasoning coating.