Thanks fistfulladirt. I wouldn't say I'm the master though. Like one guy said " There was a time when we couldn't run away from a trashy house site fast enough." Those days are gone and some of my best finds have come from trashy house sites. There are a couple you can't buy a good signal in now. I go back and dig the holes. I dig them side by side so I'm sure I haven't missed an area. I also throw the dirt from a new one on top of an old one that way there is no iron under ground to mess with you. Also if there are a lot of rock I mark where I have dug with them so I know what area I have dug before and know exactly where to start when I go back. One house site alone I got a US boxplate, eagle breast plate, silver SC button, eagle I's, C's and A's a couple one piece eagle I's and an ordnance button digging the holes like that. That's just the better stuff. The iron will hide a lot of stuff. There are days you will get skunked though. If anyone gets one of the big magnets just put it on the top of ground and you might be surprised what is on it. I've seen the thing come up covered with about a quarter inch of small rocks and irony grit before. I'm sure that stuff helps hide some things too.