Representation of SANWA in rm.org

Currently, we can find two makers of this name in our database: Sanwa (without further information) and Sanwa Electric Instrument Co.

The former entry aims to subsume transistor radios and other electronic produce of a cheaper nature that can be found in warehouses and retailers mainly, while the latter represents a company that is enganged in the production of measurement devices.

The goal of my research was to see how the the two makers do relate to each other and what additional information can be found on the internet. Therefore I performed an image search with the keyword "sanwa". This way it was possible to discern non-electronics-related links by visual inspection very quickly and easily.

1. Sanwa measurement devices (old style logo)
   SO-10S test oscillator (japanese site)
   some multimeter devices (japanese) 
   SWO-300 test oscillator (rm.org)
   SP-6 D multimeter (rm.org)
   SEM-20 tube tester (brasilian)
   
2. Sanwa measurement devices (new style logo)
   EM-1000 multimeter (japanese)
   ZX-505 multimeter
   
3. Sanwa consumer electronics
   2-transistor "boy's radio" (logo with rounded font - rm.org)
   example of an audio cassette (70's style font logo)
   e.g. 6090DF shortwave radio (dito, rm.org)
   

1. and 2.

The SP-6D as well as the other multimeters show the use of the old style logo together with the company name "Sanwa Electric Instrument Co. LTD." (SEI) while the SWO-300 has the same logo under the name of "Sanwa Radio Measurement Works" (SRMW). As the meters and the oscillator have been built at approximately the same time, we can conclude that the two are distinct divisions of the same company, or two different independent entities (i.e. companies) under the same brand.

However there are hints that the two eventually will have to be treated separately as more information becomes available. In a japanese patent of 1990, a WM-365 wafer cryostat system supposedly made by SRMW is employed. A hall coefficient analyzer MI-675 is mentioned elsewhere. Further research shows that both models may have been made by a "Sanwa Musenki Kenkyusho Kabushiki Kaisha" or "Sanwa Musen Keiki Kenkyusho" and may be falsely attributed to SRMW.

I would therefore suggest that we list the models marked in either way under this maker entry until there is more information available. As a result, I made a change to the SWO-300 to list it under SEI. I will also add information to the maker so that SRMW can be found via search.

3.  radios

The 2-transistor radio labeled Sanwa (courtesy transistor.org) cannot be safely attributed to the same manufacturer as the other models we have in rm.org - unless we have a proof that the same manufacturer used the two logos. I have not been able to conjure information about this radio, nor about the other models we list under this company. Maybe someone else can come up with more, e.g. an address, a catalogue or suchlike.

I will comment on this situation on the Sanwa pocket transistor page. The model as such should remain with the maker as we don't have a better place to put it yet. On this occasion I will correct the model name "boys radio" as this relates to the fact that transistor radios with less that 3 transistors were declared toys to avoid import taxes.

Other occurences of the name Sanwa do not relate to radio or radio history and remain unmentioned.

Regards
Mark Hippenstiel

NB: I am aware that most of the links above are of temporary nature, as is the internet. Therefore I asked permission to use the information and images from the websites and will substitute external links with links to models subsequently.

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I own a SWO-300 ! ! It's a simple but very reliable RF signal generator. Once in a while I use it to align  my radios.
I also have a general purpose multimeter model 501-ZXTR.
Sanwa instruments where very popular here in Brasil by the 60's.

regards,
Meyer

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