Agreed, a GPS driven PLB is the best way, if you know that you are in trouble long enough to activate it and put it somewhere safe.
Fixed ELT's seem to be ballast at best.
The problem is if you have no prior knowledge of disaster, which in some cases this happens (even though it should not) it will not help you.
Devices like the spider traks and so on are on all the time so they are excellent, but they usually report to a server which someone has to look up to see if you are in trouble or not. So if nobody knows you are overdue the web page is never looked at.
185skywagon uses this with his operations and they keep careful watch on each other all the time.
Lastly, ADSB would be another great SAR tool, however the problem is until there is far more low level coverage, it has big empty patches in coverage. At least this is logged in the ASA system, and even VFR and a SARTIME will get somone looking at the data of where you were last and where you were heading etc.
So perhaps a combination of all three?
Tell somebody responsible where you are going is a great start!
