To save data using the selection map and then view the data in Bufkit:

From the data selection map, right click on a location-dot for which you want to view a sounding. Then choose "Save Target As..." or "Save Link As..." and choose a directory where you would like to put the bufkit sounding file for that site (e.g. \Program Files\BUFKIT\Data). Some browsers may want to add a ".txt" extension to the downloaded file name... you should prevent it from doing so. Now, start the Bufkit application and click on the button near the right-hand-side labelled "Select". Toward the left-hand-side, another button will appear labelled "Archive". Click on "Archive" and then select the file you just downloaded from your system and then click "Open". The sounding should then appear on the display. There are also ways to have Bufkit automatically present downloaded data for selection from a list after clicking "Archive" by modifying the file "\Program Files\BUFKIT\Bufkit.cfg" in your installation.


To save data using bufget:

Bufget comes with the bufkit package and can be used to download bufkit files in a more automated fashion. After starting bufget, enter/modify the download URL page with entries for the profiles you want, e.g.:

      http://www.meteo.psu.edu/bufkit/data/latest/nam_kunv.buf
      http://www.meteo.psu.edu/bufkit/data/GFS/latest/gfs3_kunv.buf
      http://www.meteo.psu.edu/bufkit/data/RUC/latest/ruc_kunv.buf

Notice the above selections include "latest" as part of the URL to ensure the most recently available data are downloaded. Save this set of entries in a profile list for future use by clicking one of the red "Save Profile List" buttons near the bottom. This will allow you to do the same download on subsequent days by clicking a button from the "Load Profile List".
When you are ready to download, click "Get Profiles" at the top of the page. The profiles should begin downloading via the ftp protocol with status messages printed at the bottom. If socket or other communications errors occur, you may have to exit bufget and restart it with a second attempt. After the download completes, fire up bufkit and click on the desired model and station at the top of the screen... the data you just downloaded should appear.



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