Coverage Area
The mast is nine metres high, about 270 metres a.s.l. on a hilltop near Hoylandswaine and transmitter power is 25 Watts ERP into an omnidirectional aerial. The frequency of 95.7MHz is a surprisingly good one. It is quite clear reception in all directions with only Liverpool and Peterborough stations likely to interfere, although there is suspected interference from a pirate radio station in Leeds.
The catchment area is intended to fit approximately within the current administrative boundaries (Penistone West and East) and it looks like a reasonably good fit. Penistone is not 'in Barnsley' and most of its radio waves aren't either, although there are quite a few regular listeners over there. With the internet, it is receivable just about everywhere in the civilised world.
The area of strong reception includes all of Penistone, Ingbirchworth, Silkstone, Cawthorne, Cubley, Thurlstone, Oxspring, Thurgoland, Millhouse Green. No problems in Hoylandswaine either but Bower Hill in Oxspring is a weak spot. The green bits in my version of the map are the strong areas and the purple bits might have some interference.
In the Huddersfield direction, reception is good through Ingbirchworth but the radio waves won't stop at political boundaries. They carry on into High Flatts, which is in Kirklees administrative area. Over the brow of the hill into Birds Edge and it becomes very patchy. Upper Denby has a signal with some interference. There is a small and unexpected patch of good reception in Shepley near the Rising Sun and a weak signal in high parts of Almondbury, Farnley Tyas and Thurstonland.
Towards Holmfirth, it is clear up to Carlecotes but becomes patchy near the Foxhouse Inn. It disappears completely after the Bay Horse at Hade Edge. Perhaps surprisingly, reception is good right down into the depths of Dunford Bridge but it quickly disappears as soon as you leave the Dunford road whilst approaching Winscar reservoir. Parts of Stocksbridge get a good signal and it can be picked up in Lidl car park but it soon peters out heading west. PFM is generally a good choice for Stocksbridge. Otherwise they will listen Radio Hallam. Bolsterstone is reported to be weak reception. With careful positioning of a portable radio, PFM can be weakly received at the top of Huddersfield's Victoria Tower.
Outside our area, there are reports of weak reception in Barnsley, Royston and Dewsbury and near the Asda in Wakefield. It has a very good range going south down the M1 and can be received more or less all the way down to Dinnington near Worksop. A PFM listener said that they could hear it all the way east towards Bridlington.
Assorted MP3 files to Download
The Big Launch in 2009. Special Occasions
PFM's First Birthday - Sunday 6th June 2010
Richard Ward's long interview with Colin Geldard:
Jody Fendick's special interviews with presenters, with behind-the-scenes help from Mica.
Thank Yous
My thanks go to Penistone FM for their generous permission to use these audio clips and to Eskia Computers of Oxspring for the use of their web server. The MP3 format was used to keep file sizes small and make them easy to play back.
