A buried utility locator, comprising: a locator housing; a front end subsystem, coupled to or disposed in the locator housing, comprising a plurality of antenna arrays (1510, 1520, 1530, 1540, 1550, 1560) each tuned to one or more broadcast signal frequencies and a receiver circuit coupled thereto, the plurality of antenna arrays (1510, 1520, 1530, 1540, 1550, 1560) including at least a first antenna array located at a first position and a second antenna array located at a second position, spatially separated from the first position, the front end subsystem configured to receive, simultaneously at the first position and the second position, an ambient electromagnetic signal; a processing element, disposed in the locator housing and coupled to the front end subsystem, programmed to process simultaneously, a first measurement of a plurality of measurable aspects of the ambient electromagnetic signal at the first position, and a second measurement of the plurality of measurable aspects of the ambient electromagnetic signal at the second position, and compare the first measurement to the second measurement to determine information pertaining to the buried conductor; and a non-transitory memory coupled to the processing element to store the determined information pertaining to the buried conductor; wherein the ambient electromagnetic signal includes a combination of a direct magnetic field signal emitted from a radio transmitting antenna and a magnetic field signal emitted from the buried conductor resulting from electromagnetic coupling of the direct magnetic field signal to the buried conductor. a locator housing; a front end subsystem, coupled to or disposed in the locator housing, comprising a plurality of antenna arrays (1510, 1520, 1530, 1540, 1550, 1560) each tuned to one or more broadcast signal frequencies and a receiver circuit coupled thereto, the plurality of antenna arrays (1510, 1520, 1530, 1540, 1550, 1560) including at least a first antenna array located at a first position and a second antenna array located at a second position, spatially separated from the first position, the front end subsystem configured to receive, simultaneously at the first position and the second position, an ambient electromagnetic signal; a processing element, disposed in the locator housing and coupled to the front end subsystem, programmed to process simultaneously, a first measurement of a plurality of measurable aspects of the ambient electromagnetic signal at the first position, and a second measurement of the plurality of measurable aspects of the ambient electromagnetic signal at the second position, and compare the first measurement to the second measurement to determine information pertaining to the buried conductor; and a non-transitory memory coupled to the processing element to store the determined information pertaining to the buried conductor; wherein the ambient electromagnetic signal includes a combination of a direct magnetic field signal emitted from a radio transmitting antenna and a magnetic field signal emitted from the buried conductor resulting from electromagnetic coupling of the direct magnetic field signal to the buried conductor.