Fwd: Important Updates on VERSIM Sopron Workshop
Jonathan
From: František Němec <frantis...@matfyz.cuni.cz>
Date: Wed, Apr 1, 2026 at 3:23 AM
Subject: Important Updates on VERSIM Sopron Workshop
To:
Dear VERSIM Friends,
As the 12th VERSIM Workshop in Sopron approaches, and following yesterday’s
announcement on the Workshop webpage, the LOC is pleased to announce a special addition to this year's program: a guided tour of the city's historic Fire Tower (Tűztorony). Built on Roman foundations and rising 58 meters above Sopron's main square, the Tűztorony
has stood watch over the city since the 13th century. Its Baroque copper dome added after a fire in 1676 destroyed the upper structure, is a landmark visible from across the region.
The VERSIM community has always worked towards the expansion of its observational capabilities, and this year's workshop preceded by our second VERSIM School is no exception. After months of negotiation, we are happy to announce that the LOC has finally secured
permission from the Mayor of Sopron to temporarily repurpose the tower as a scientific instrument. We therefore plan to wrap the structure in 50,000 turns of copper wire, turning it into the world's largest vertical VLF loop antenna. School students will naturally
take the lead on the winding, gaining valuable hands-on experience in large-scale antenna construction. The copper-domed roof, we hope, will remain intact.
Once operational, continuous monitoring of incoming whistler-mode waves requires round-the-clock coverage. The LOC has assigned this task to workshop participants on a shift basis. Senior researchers will cover two-hour slots; students and early career scientists will handle the rest as part of their broader contribution to the field.
Preliminary estimates suggest the antenna's sensitivity will be exceptional, with noise performance only limited by the winding precision and local thunderstorm conditions. Therefore, in recognition of this critical task, the LOC will award the "Best Winding Award" to the most precise early-career participant, as judged by the senior researchers during their monitoring shifts. The winner will get a jar of Hungarian honey and a selection of Tokaji wines or Pálinka brandy.
To organize shifts, please complete the following survey: https://forms.gle/p9Ka8BYKSZgArvKK6
Shift assignments will be confirmed upon registration. Bring warm clothing. The LOC will provide headlamps.