I MAY have maybe figured out the problem and a solution that has solved it so far.
The problem is apparently humidity and trace moisture that causes the controller to short out and shut off. A solution that has worked so far for me is to take the controller inside a climate controlled house, keep it there for three or four days and then put it back on the smoker. From now on I remove the controller and take it in the house after each smoke session. Two screws and two plug-ins. Annoying solution but works. A hair dryer might speed up the drying.
After two summers of use mine suddenly shut itself off before I could set temp/time and after that would only click when I hit the on button. I phoned
Masterbuilt Customer
Service, got a great gal who told me that the problem was moisture in the controller, even though mine sits on a covered portion of deck with a waterproof cover on it. Not dry enough. I ordered another controller, paid for since my Sportsman Elite is past warranty. She recommended that I detach the controller after each use and take it inside my house, not just into a garage. While I waited for my new controller to arrive, I removed the old defective controller, took it in the house for several days and on a whim, put it back on the Sportsman Elite smoker. Voila! It worked, so I smoked a venison roast for 3 hours. Then removed the controller and took it inside my house. I plan to keep the new controller and have a spare.
Love my smoker but am amazed and disappointed that
Masterbuilt does not make the controller skookum enough to handle humidity on a covered deck or porch, where I'm sure the majority are kept.