trick is to have the cover off of one unit (see your instructions for which one) turn the main unit on while then turning the other unit on. had one of the things but it got burned up in my fec fire. turned out to be a blessing since all i have now are taylor remotes and a big old noteboke going back for years which gets me right in the ballpark. last 30 mins or so i know when to look at the smokers. in a commercial setting it just makes more sense since it frees me up to do other tasks. base average time is programmed into my watch so the alarm goes off then.
try a taylor only 18 bucks
almost forgot the most important part. get a one dollar notebook and a 25 cent pen. everytime you cook write down your load (type of meat and weight), your wood (type and weight) your cooking temperature, your ambient air temp and weather conditions and your eatimated cook time and the results thereof (means was it done at that time or not). do this everytime you cook. in about 3 months if you do this you can tell within a 30 min window where you are without radio thermos or even the cheap taylors. sounds like a pain but i did this very thing anytime a new oven or piece of equipment was placed in the kitchens where i was either exec chef at or where i taught culinary arts at. while it ain't the cooker it's the cook it is for sure a poor cook who doesn't truly understand what his or her equipment is doing. while the cookshack is about as close to set it and forget it as anything if you want to shine take and keep and review your cooking notes.
hope it helps
jack