I bought an antenna from Radio Shack that fits the ELT in my airplane and in rental airplanes (the old square units) so that if the airplane is upside down or the antenna is broken off I can remove the ELT and connect my antenna. use it as a portable ELT, move it away from the airplane etc. The antenna cost me $15 and it lives in my survival vest (a fishing vest with lots of pockets for matches, candles, hand warmers and the like since I fly mainly in Alaska. Also have a mozzie net since in two hours Alaskan mozzies can take half of the total amount of blood in a human body). Even if it is too hot (temps over 5 C) and I cannot stand to wear the vest it sits beside me whenever I fly).
When brushing snow off the airplane take care not to break the fixed antenna.
I am in the CAP and spend a fair bit of time looking for ELTs, most of which are accidentally set off or that are so old the switch corrodes and turns the unit on. Some are used by hunter guides (they have dozens of them in jackets for their customers) and we have regular problems with those guys throwing their jackets in a pickup, setting off one or two, then driving hundreds of miles along the highways, CAP 172 in hot pursuit. Biggest problem though is in the antennas, which have corrosion at the attach point and are rarely cleaned or serviced. I doubt if Steve has that type of problem. I am surprised he does not have a PLB in his pocket.
In 2009 they are shutting down the satellite that looks after 121.5 ELTs and only the new PLBs will be supported.
Sad situation. Not nice when nothing is found, it leaves family members always wondering and they say that is worse than getting confirmation of the loss. Still it is too early to give up.