Meteorological data files formatted for use by HYSPLIT are available from several different FTP servers. The GUI currently supports the definition of three different servers for forecast and analysis data. The default server locations and their root data directories are written to the file default_ftp when the GUI is started for the first time. The FTP application will only search for data at one location as shown in the text box. One may select either the default, alternate, or backup sites. Not all data files are available at all sites. After selecting a new server, it is only necessary to exit the GUI and the location in the text box will be used for all subsequent FTP commands.
It is possible to edit both the server location and root data directory and the exiting the GUI will cause subsequent FTPs to use the edited location. However, if the edits are desired to be saved, then there are two save options. In the first, Save Changes, just updates the internal array so that the edited text is saved in either the default, alternate, or backup locations, so that pressing the radiobutton will bring up the edited locations rather than the original values for those entries. In the Save to File option, the changes are saved to the internal array as well as the default_ftp file, so that when the GUI is closed and reopened, the new values will be available.