RADIO FAILURE WHEN ATTEMPTING LNDG AT CTLED FIELD. FLASHING RED LIGHT RECEIVED. FLIES TO NON TWR ARPT NEARBY.

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XCOUNTRY FLT TO EVV PROCEEDED NORMALLY UNTIL BEING HANDED OFF FROM APCH TO TWR AT EVV. ONE OF THE RADIO FREQ SWITCHES APPARENTLY FAILED TO MAKE CONTACT; AND I WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT THE TWR. NEXT; I ATTEMPTED TO USE A HAND HELD BACKUP RADIO I HAD ABOARD. WITH IT; I COULD HEAR THE TWR'S XMISSION ENOUGH TO KNOW THEY WERE ATTEMPTING TO CONTACT ME; BUT WAS UNABLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT ALL THEY WERE SAYING DUE TO LOW AUDIO OUTPUT AND ACFT CABIN NOISE. ALSO; I WAS UNABLE TO XMIT BECAUSE THE BATTERIES WERE LOW. WHILE ON L DOWNWIND TO RWY 4; I SAW A FLASHING RED LIGHT SIGNAL FROM THE TWR; AND ROCKED MY WINGS TO ACKNOWLEDGE. I EXTENDED THE DOWNWIND WHILE WATCHING FOR A GREEN SIGNAL; WHICH I NEVER SAW. AT ABOUT 3 MI FROM THE TWR; I DECIDED IT WOULD BE BEST TO LAND AT 3EV; INSTEAD. IT IS AN UNCTLED FIELD; WHICH WAS ABOUT A MI AWAY AT THE TIME. IT WAS WHEN TURNING BASE FOR RWY 36 AT 3EV THAT I FIRST NOTICED THAT THE ALT WAS MUCH TOO LOW -- IT WAS ABOUT 100 FT AGL AT THE TIME. AT THAT POINT; I INITIATED A GAR AND MADE A NORMAL LNDG THE NEXT TIME AROUND. THE FOLLOWING CHANGES WOULD HAVE ENHANCED THE SAFETY IN THIS SITUATION: 1) BEFORE THE FLT - ENSURE BATTERIES IN THE HAND HELD RADIO WERE FRESH; OR HAVE AN ADDITIONAL SET ON BOARD. 2) DURING THE RADIO PROBLEM - REMEMBER TO AVIATE FIRST; AND THEN NAV/COM. REQUEST MY PAX TO WATCH FOR LIGHT SIGNALS WHILE I CONCENTRATE ON FLYING THE ACFT. BRIEFING MY PAX ON MIN ALT; ETC; AND HAVE HER HELP WATCH THE GAUGES.