System and method for locating underground lines using a view-in-the-ground indicator

An underground line locator system comprising:

• one or more transmitters configured to couple a plurality of locate tones onto a corresponding plurality of underground lines, each of the plurality of locate tones being distinguishable from one another, wherein the plurality of locate tones cause a plurality of underground lines to radiate time-varying magnetic fields, each of the plurality of underground lines radiating a time-varying magnetic field at the corresponding tone;
• a locator configured to measure the time-varying magnetic fields and determine signal strength, position, and orientation information associated with the plurality of underground lines based on the corresponding tone of the time-varying magnetic fields;
• a display interface coupled to the locator configured to display the signal strength, position, and orientation information of a plurality of underground lines, wherein:
• a signal strength information of each of the plurality of underground lines is displayed using a bar graph indicator;
• and
• the position and orientation information of the plurality of underground lines is displayed using a view-in-the-ground indicator that shows a needle extending across the view-in-the-ground indicator for each of the plurality of underground lines, each needle rotating and shifting to indicate orientation and left-right positioning of a corresponding one of the plurality of underground lines, each needle designated with a specific characteristic associated with the corresponding one of the plurality of underground lines to distinguish each needle from the other displayed needles,
• wherein the specific characteristic of each needle indicates the tone coupled to the corresponding one of the plurality of underground lines.