Kiwa Electronics began in 1989 when the first business license was applied for in Seattle WA. The name Kiwa is actually the street I once lived on when doing radio engineering (Radio Curom-PJZ86) in Curacao, Netherland Antilles. The neighborhood streets were named after sea shells and a kiwa is a local sea shell in "papiamento" the native language. The first products include the MAP-Multiband AM Pickup, a device that provided AM synchronous detection when sampling the 455 kHz IF frequency of communications receivers. Another noteworthy product was the High Performance AM Loop Antenna, an air-core loop antenna that tuned 530-1700 kHz and used 3:1 gear reduction for precise nulling and variable regenertion for bandwidth control. This won the World Radio Handbook award in the 1990's. Receiver performance upgrades began in 1991/92 with a filter upgrade for the Sony ICF-2010, one of the most popular receivers ever manufactured. Other 2010 upgrades were later included. The kiwa.com web site was established in 1995. Having been Chief Engineer of many major market radio stations where every effort was made to establish the best audio, I began to implement some of the techniques I learned for improved audio in communications receivers. The first audio upgrade dates back to the late 1990's with the Icom R71 audio upgrade. This was an instant success as the stock audio in the R71 was so muffled and lacked clarity. The first Low pass filters were designed in the 1990's and the current product line is the result of numerous requests from many sources. These filters have been sold worldwide to many universities, government research agencies, high tech electronic, medical and computer companies and the military (Kiwa Electronics has a cage #5PYN3).
Craig Siegenthaler
Pres. Kiwa Electronics
Kiwa Electronics
503 7th. Ave. N.E.
Kasson, MN 55944 USA
507.634.6134
kiwa@wolfenet.com