Telemegaphone Dale

For three years Telemegaphone Dale stands stood seven metres tall on top of the Jøtulshaugen mountain overlooking the idyllic Dalsfjord in Western Norway.

When you dial the Telemegaphone’s phone number the sound of your voice is projected out across the fjord, the valley and the village of Dale below.

Telemegaphone Dale is supported by Fjaler Kommune, Nordic Culture Point, KORO and nkd - nordic artists’ centre in dale. It was reopened Monday 3 August 2009 as a permanent service and landmark. Read more…

From the Telemegaphone Blog:

Telemegaphone Dale FAQ

Look above and below for answers to the most common questions about Telemegaphone Dale. Also, check the Unsworn Blog for the latest telemegaphonic news.

Is this for real?

Yes.

Is it free?

Almost. You are paying the same as you would pay for a call to an ordinary Norwegian mobile phone.

What does it sound like?

If you are the caller you can hear a faint echo of your voice/sounds.

In Dale the sound is quite magical. It fills the whole valley like a soft voice from above.

How loud is it?

On a calm day you can hear the Telemegaphone sounds in the centre of Dale, some three kilometers away from the Telemegaphone.

The Telemegaphone is intended to be loud enough for people in Dale to be able to distinguish words and phrases, but subtle enough not to wake anyone up in the middle of the night.

When is it open?

Telemegaphone Dale reopens 3:33pm 3 August 2009. It is open around the clock. Telemegaphone Dale will be temporarily unavailable when the local deer hunt starts in early September so as not to scare the deer or the hunters.

The people of Dale must really hate this!?

Some people complained that the volume was too loud for sleeping with open windows during calm, warm summer nights. After adjusting the volume slightly, others complained that the volume was now too weak.

One woman said: “This is great. I will sit on my porch with a cup of tea and listen to the world.”

Another woman said: “We like things a little bit crazy here in Dale.”

Here are more opinions from Dale-ites.

Where is Dale anyway?

Here.

Can I go there?

You should, it‘s very pretty. If you happen to walk up to the Telemegaphone you should sign the guestbook.