Well this is embarrassing! A firm knock on the door at 3:30 AM this morning. Co-incident to that, as I look out my bedroom window, I can see a helicopter running on my runway. Two very well equipped military rescue personell at my door saying I have an ELT transmitting. I instantly know what I've done wrong
...
We walk down toward the planes, and I stop at my car. They laugh and say "It's in the trunk of your car?!" Yup, I just removed both to take them for annual certification. I tucked them in a safe place in the trunk, with the switches selected off, and the antennas removed.
But, I did not guard the switches!! The certification place was not open, so they rode back home in the trunk and bumped each other. One turned on the other's switch.
With no antenna, and in the trunk, we were all surprised they even heard it. It's an old 121.5, but I guess it still works well. They said that the signal was faint, and they had just happened to hear it while flying over from another call.
I apologized for not guarding the switches off, and wasting their time. They were very pleasant and gracious. I am reminded of the value of SAR, who is often not thought of until we really need them. What a reassuring thought that they can find the ELT I carelessly put in my trunk, with no antenna on it!
Thanks Guys, I relearned a lesson I should already have known....