I purchased a YS480 a few months ago and I'm loving it. Ever since I purchased the smoker, I've suffered from quicker than expected cooking times on pretty much everything I've done. Okay, new product learning curve is expected, no biggie.
A few times now, I've used other temperate probes mounted next to the OEM one to check circuit board temp and always found it accurate, so I just dropped temps and/or learned to expect that things cook fast.
Recently I got my first wireless thermometer and hooked it up today while cooking some ribs. I quickly realized why I was having overcook / fast cook situations.
My temperatures on the grill grates next to the food is 20 - 80, yes 80, deg HOTTER than the OEM probe placement! 
If you are using the top rack, its even more so, close to 100 when it makes a fresh pellet dump on the exhaust side of the grate if the temp has dropped from the door being open. I triple checked using two other digital kitchen thermometers and its consistent.
How can this be normal? For the money I paid for this Smoker, I find this, frankly, a little disappointing. Grill is set to 175 right now to get my ribs to cook at 215-225...
My heat diffusion plate (Big plate) is installed, with the door also installed.
To sum this up:
Lower grate:
Fire Side ~= to Circuit board
Exhaust side: 20 - 40 hotter.
Upper Grate:
Fire Side ~10deg hotter.
Exhaust Side: 40 - 80 Hotter.
Normal, can I do anything about it?
You will never get a correct reading when placing the external probe next to the internal probe. There are algorithms built into the firmware that take the thermocouple's reading and approximates the grate temperature 10" from the hopper wall and centered front to back.
Even though this is for a YS640, it is the same for the YS480: viewtopic.php?f=49&t=787
Want to prove the cooker is working correctly and as designed? Do this test exactly as it states: download/Best%20Practice%20and%20how%20to/Yoder%20Pellet%20Temperature%20Test.pdf
Want to get the most out of your cooker? Follow this: download/Best%20Practice%20and%20how%20to/Recommend%20procedure%20for%20starting%20up%20a%20Yoder%20pellet%20cooker.pdf
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