A buried utility locator,, comprising: a plurality of magnetic field sensing antenna coils (412, 512); and a signal processing circuit including: a plurality of receiver channel circuits having inputs operatively coupled to corresponding outputs of the magnetic field sensing antenna coils for receiving output signals from the antenna coils; a multiplexing circuit operatively coupled to outputs of the receiver channel circuits for time division multiplexing the receiver channel circuit outputs and providing multiplexed output signals; one or more connected amplifiers (440, 452, 540, 552) with at least one connected amplifier operatively coupled to an output of the multiplexing circuit; one or more analog-to-digital converters (456, 466, 556, 566, 654, 656) operatively coupled to outputs of the one or more connected amplifiers, wherein the total number of analog-to digital converters is smaller than the number of receiver channel circuits and antenna coils; and a digital signal processing circuit (400, 500, 830a-c) operatively coupled to outputs of the one or more analog-to-digital converters to process the receiver channel outputs to determine information associated with a sensed buried utility; characterized in that the the multiplexing circuit includes a switching circuit (420, 520) for time-division multiplexing signals from ones of the plurality of receiver channels, wherein one receiver channel is put in an open state at a time allowing its signal past the switching mechanism and the remainder of receiver channels are put into a closed state to block their signal past the switching mechanism, and wherein the receiver channels that are in a closed state maintain a load having an impedance matching the circuit past the switching mechanism. a plurality of magnetic field sensing antenna coils (412, 512); and a signal processing circuit including: a plurality of receiver channel circuits having inputs operatively coupled to corresponding outputs of the magnetic field sensing antenna coils for receiving output signals from the antenna coils; a multiplexing circuit operatively coupled to outputs of the receiver channel circuits for time division multiplexing the receiver channel circuit outputs and providing multiplexed output signals; one or more connected amplifiers (440, 452, 540, 552) with at least one connected amplifier operatively coupled to an output of the multiplexing circuit; one or more analog-to-digital converters (456, 466, 556, 566, 654, 656) operatively coupled to outputs of the one or more connected amplifiers, wherein the total number of analog-to digital converters is smaller than the number of receiver channel circuits and antenna coils; and a digital signal processing circuit (400, 500, 830a-c) operatively coupled to outputs of the one or more analog-to-digital converters to process the receiver channel outputs to determine information associated with a sensed buried utility; characterized in that the the multiplexing circuit includes a switching circuit (420, 520) for time-division multiplexing signals from ones of the plurality of receiver channels, wherein one receiver channel is put in an open state at a time allowing its signal past the switching mechanism and the remainder of receiver channels are put into a closed state to block their signal past the switching mechanism, and wherein the receiver channels that are in a closed state maintain a load having an impedance matching the circuit past the switching mechanism. a plurality of receiver channel circuits having inputs operatively coupled to corresponding outputs of the magnetic field sensing antenna coils for receiving output signals from the antenna coils; a multiplexing circuit operatively coupled to outputs of the receiver channel circuits for time division multiplexing the receiver channel circuit outputs and providing multiplexed output signals; one or more connected amplifiers (440, 452, 540, 552) with at least one connected amplifier operatively coupled to an output of the multiplexing circuit; one or more analog-to-digital converters (456, 466, 556, 566, 654, 656) operatively coupled to outputs of the one or more connected amplifiers, wherein the total number of analog-to digital converters is smaller than the number of receiver channel circuits and antenna coils; and a digital signal processing circuit (400, 500, 830a-c) operatively coupled to outputs of the one or more analog-to-digital converters to process the receiver channel outputs to determine information associated with a sensed buried utility; characterized in that the the multiplexing circuit includes a switching circuit (420, 520) for time-division multiplexing signals from ones of the plurality of receiver channels, wherein one receiver channel is put in an open state at a time allowing its signal past the switching mechanism and the remainder of receiver channels are put into a closed state to block their signal past the switching mechanism, and wherein the receiver channels that are in a closed state maintain a load having an impedance matching the circuit past the switching mechanism.