Thanks for sharing that, Larry!! We always encourage new owners to try out their MAK as-is when they get it, before adding on extras, to see just how well it performs without any additional goodies. Then if they REALLY want those super pronounced pretty marks, they can get a searing grate or some grill grates.
A little educational moment for anyone looking at MAKs-- the thermocouple reads the overall pit temperature, and we govern that out at 500° to reduce the chances of flare ups or grease fires. When you're cooking at high temps with the FlameZone uncovered, the temperature on the grate level is going to be much higher than the overall pit reading.
(A somewhat simplified way to imagine it is your home heating system-- you set the thermostat to 70°, and the air circulates around the room to make it a comfortable temperature around 70°, but if you go sit on the heating vent, your bum going to be a lot warmer than 70°.)