Processing NAM BUFR sounding files with NAMSND

I regularly process NAM soundings from the NCEP FTP server (path: pub/data/nccf/com/nam/prod/nam.YYYYMMDD/bufr.HHz) with NAMSND. I have found that in order to process them, $GEMTBL/pack/snclass1.prm needs to be modifed as follows: 
 change the line
TKEL   0.     40.      .01
 to
TKEL   0.     40.      .01      1.        IMXR
As this modification needs to be done each time a new version of GEMPAK is enabled, can this change be added to future distributions? 

Also, while NAMSND works fine on Sun Solaris, it always aborts on Linux:

SNBUFR    BUFR model sounding file          bufr.725180.2006120512
SNOUTF    Output sounding file              06120512_nam.snd
SFOUTF    Output surface file               06120512_nam.sfc+
SNPRMF    Sounding parameter packing file   snclass1.prm
SFPRMF    Surface parameter packing file    sfclass1.prm
TIMSTN    Times/additional stations         120/200
Parameters requested: SNBUFR,SNOUTF,SFOUTF,SNPRMF,SFPRMF,TIMSTN.
GEMPAK-NAMSND>r

**************BUFR ARCHIVE LIBRARY ABORT*****************
BUFRLIB: OPENBF - ERROR READING INPUT FILE CONNECTED TO UNIT 14 WHEN CHECKING FOR 'BUFR' IN FIRST 4 BYTES OF RECORD 
**************BUFR ARCHIVE LIBRARY ABORT*****************
Finally, is there another model sounding/BUFR program that I should be using instead of NAMSND? 

Thanks!

Kevin

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Kevin Tyle, Systems Administrator               **********************
Dept. of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences           ktyle@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
University at Albany, ES-235                    518-442-4578 (voice)
1400 Washington Avenue                          518-442-5825 (fax)
Albany, NY 12222                                **********************
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