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The sinking of MS Estonia: Case Reopened Part VII

Vixen said:
The word is derived from the verb 'to flow', virta. As with English it can refer to water, as in rivers, or electricity as in current. In electrical terms, virta means 'power', so the closest meaning would be 'powered' or 'tuned' as in 'pitched'. 'Switched on' has a completely different phrase.
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"Powered" and "tuned" are quite different concepts. As, indeed, are current or flowing and tuned.

Where did you get the translation from?
 
Vixen said:
Almost certainly Google translate but if the translation came out as 'armed' then it is common sense to apply a more apt meaning.
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Why isn't 'armed' an 'apt' meaning?

Turning on an EPIRB buoy does arm it, then after a predetermined delay, unless it's turned off and 'disarmed' it starts to transmit a distress signal.

The delay is by design to allow for accidental activation to be cancelled and to perform regular battery checks.

Automatically activated buoys, as well as a manual activation switch have a water sensor for activation by immersion, the water sensor has no way of being disabled or deactivated, it is internal.
 
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Andy_Ross said:
Why isn't 'armed' an 'aot' meaning?

Turning on an EPIRB buoy does arm it, then after a predetermined delay, unless it's turned off and 'disarmed' it starts to transmit a distress signal.

The delay is by design to allow for accidental activation to be cancelled and to perform regular battery checks.

Automatically activated buoys, as well as a manual activation switch have a water sensor for activation by immersion, the water sensor has no way of being disabled or deactivated, it is internal.
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Yes. I think it's obvious - in the context of what it is and isn't possible to do with this model of EPIRB - that "viritys" should be translated as "switched on" or "activated".
 
Mojo said:
Are you saying that you copied and pasted a translation, only yesterday, but now can't remember where you got it from?

ETA: perhaps you would find it easier to remember your sources if you cite them properly when you post them.
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This was archived to a word doc in my folder in 2021, when I had a subscription to HS, which I didn't want to continue as I already had a subscription to another news outlet. So, when reverse translated t'other day, no big surprise Google had since amended it, as it does have a function whereby people can 'suggest a better translation' (no, it wasn't me).
 
Vixen said:
This was archived to a word doc in my folder in 2021, when I had a subscription to HS, which I didn't want to continue as I already had a subscription to another news outlet. So, when reverse translated t'other day, no big surprise Google had since amended it, as it does have a function whereby people can 'suggest a better translation' (no, it wasn't me).
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So, we're tantalisingly close to learning, whose English translation is the odd original? HS's? Google's? Someone else's?
 
Andy_Ross said:
Why isn't 'armed' an 'apt' meaning?

Turning on an EPIRB buoy does arm it, then after a predetermined delay, unless it's turned off and 'disarmed' it starts to transmit a distress signal.

The delay is by design to allow for accidental activation to be cancelled and to perform regular battery checks.

Automatically activated buoys, as well as a manual activation switch have a water sensor for activation by immersion, the water sensor has no way of being disabled or deactivated, it is internal.
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There are two references here: one is the issue of their not being 'armed', 'powered' or 'tuned' and in the text from HS ,this is stated [quoting Lehtola the Finnish JAIC bod]:

28.1.1995 2:00

Autolautta Estonian kaksi hätäpoijua eivät lähettäneet signaalia pelastajille, koska niitä ei ollut viritetty laivalla. Hätäpoijut pulpahtivat pinnalle asianmukaisesti laivan upotessa.
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28.1.1995 2:00 Car ferry The two Estonian emergency buoys did not send a signal to the rescuers because they had not been tuned on board.
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So far so good.

But then the reason given for this not happening is given as follows:

Ns. EPIRB-hätäpoijut oli huollettu äskettäin, ja ne oli sijoitettu sääntöjen mukaisesti paikoilleen. Asetusvaiheessa unohtui kuitenkin poijujen aktivointi: suojakansi pitää avata ja kääntää kytkin päälle.
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The so-called EPIRB emergency buoys had been recently serviced and had been deployed in accordance with the rules. However, during the setup phase, the activation of the buoys was forgotten: the protective cover must be opened and the switch turned on.
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There were two ship radio technicians whose job it was to regularly inspect the buoys. This inspection means opening the bracket door carefully, lifting the beacon to check a signal light comes on (battery check) and then switch the 'off' button before it transmits a distress signal proper. They then record it as checked in the radio logs, which was done a week before the accident. However, whilst this may have not been done but marked off on the log anyway, what Lehtola was referring to here was the reason for it not tuning was in the installation phase [=Asetusvaiheessa] or, as google puts it: 'set-up stage'.

This seems to indicate that the EPIRB's were never properly registered with the satellite via its coding - mandatory for both manual or auto - and thus, when they successfully released from their brackets to the water surface, there was no signal to transmit (some kind of call back). As you know, the EPIRB's were housed on the roof of the bridge's wings, so hard to see how they could be manually switched on even if technically off because of the failure at the installation phase. However, Lehtola was a lawyer so was probably reciting feedback given to him which lacks finer detail. The set-up stage refers not to the inspection and testing phase but to the first installation, which we can see in the word 'Asetus' = set up, to place, to install. This is a different word used from to tune or to arm.
 
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Vixen said:
... There were two ship radio technicians whose job it was to regularly inspect the buoys. This inspection means opening the bracket door carefully, lifting the beacon to check a signal light comes on (battery check) and then switch the 'off' button before it transmits a distress signal proper. They then record it as checked in the radio logs, which was done a week before the accident. However, whilst this may have not been done but marked off on the log anyway, what Lehtola was referring to here was the reason for it not tuning was in the installation phase [=Asetusvaiheessa] or, as google puts it: 'set-up stage'.

This seems to indicate that the EPIRB's were never properly registered with the satellite via its coding - mandatory for both manual or auto - and thus, when they successfully released from their brackets to the water surface, there was no signal to transmit (some kind of call back). As you know, the EPIRB's were housed on the roof of the bridge's wings, so hard to see how they could be manually switched on even if technically off because of the failure at the installation phase. However, Lehtola was a lawyer so was probably reciting feedback given to him which lacks finer detail. The set-up stage refers not to the inspection and testing phase but to the first installation, which we can see in the word 'Asetus' = set up, to place, to install. This is a different word used from to tune or to arm.
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That's a nice fairy story.

Automatic EPIRBs can't be switched off.

The end.
 
Vixen said:
They cannot be transmitting signals when not immersed in four feet of water!
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You are still confused. It's the container release which triggers at a certain depth of water. Not the EPIRB.

They transmit when wet with seawater, unless the magnet built into their storage case holds their magnetic switch off.

Auto EPIRBs cannot be switched off by the user.
 
Jack by the hedge said:
You are still confused. It's the container release which triggers at a certain depth of water. Not the EPIRB.

They transmit when wet with seawater, unless the magnet built into their storage case holds their magnetic switch off.

Auto EPIRBs cannot be switched off by the user.
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But to come out of the bracket, the Hammar spring needs to release the wretched thing. It doesn't transmit signals until it bobs up to the surface! We don't want them transmitting signals all day long.

Absolute nonsense they cannot be switched off ever; they are switched off whilst in dry dock.
 
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Vixen said:
This seems to indicate that the EPIRB's were never properly registered with the satellite via its coding - mandatory for both manual or auto - and thus, when they successfully released from their brackets to the water surface, there was no signal to transmit (some kind of call back).
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A modern EPIRB can be programmed with the ships MMSI number, but as far as I know, older EPIRBs broadcast their own unique identifier that was preprogrammed. So the registration is paper-based - basically to connect the EPIRB identifier to the ship in the registers. The EPIRB doesn't know better, so it will always broadcast. And as we know, when the EPIRBs where found and turned on, the did indeed broadcast. So no need to try to make up something about "no signal to transmit" - that is not relevant.
 
Vixen said:
But to come out of the bracket, the Hammar spring needs to release the wretched thing. It doesn't transmit signals until it bobs up to the surface! We don't want them transmitting signals all day long.

Absolute nonsense they cannot be switched off ever; they are switched off whilst in dry dock.
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They cannot be switched off by the user. What part of this confuses you?


The Estonia's hydrostatic release systems worked, and the buoys did indeed bob to the surface. But they did not transmit, because they were manual buoys and were not switched on.

If they had been automatic types they would have switched on 2 seconds after getting wet in seawater and when no longer held off by the magnet in their storage case. The user has no control over that.
 
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