AN SMA PLT HAD TO CLB INTO THE CLOUDS WITHOUT IFR CLRNC BECAUSE HE WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT ANYONE WHILE VFR UNDERNEATH.

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AN IFR FLT PLAN WAS FILED FOR A FLT FROM FDK TO 2G4. MORGANTOWN FSS WAS RPTING 4500 BROKEN AND WX/STORMS WAS EXPECTED LATER THAT DAY. FDK WAS 3500 TO 3000. I DEPARTED FDK VFR AND PLANNED TO PICK UP MY CLRNC OVER MARTINSBURG WITH DULLES APCH (WHICH I HAVE DONE BEFORE). JUST BEFORE I CALLED DULLES; ANOTHER ACFT CALLED FOR A CLRNC INTO MARTINSBURG FROM HAGERSTOWN. DULLES RESPONDED 'CAN YOU CLB VFR TO 4000?' THE RESPONSE WAS 'NEGATIVE.' DULLES RESPONDED 'REMAIN VFR.' I CALLED DULLES APCH TO PICK UP MY CLRNC; WAS ASSIGNED A SQUAWK CODE AND WAS TOLD TO STANDBY WHILE HE TRIED TO ACTIVATE MY CLRNC. MEANWHILE; I PROCEEDED ON MY FILED RTE VFR. APPROX 15 MI W OF MARTINSBURG; DULLES SAID THAT I WAS LEAVING HIS AIRSPACE; TOLD ME TO SQUAWK 1200 AND GAVE ME ZDC'S FREQ. AT THIS POINT; ASSUMING I COULDN'T CLB TO THE MVA/MEA TO PICK UP MY CLRNC; I CONTINUED VFR. FOR THE NEXT 25 TO 30 MI THE WX LOOKED OKAY UNTIL I REACHED KEYSER; WV. WHERE I MADE A 180 DUE TO VISIBILITY; BUT EVERYTHING CLOSED IN BEHIND ME. I CALLED CTR BUT THEY COULD NOT HEAR ME BECAUSE OF MY LOW ALT; I HEARD OTHER ACFT TALKING TO CTR SO I DECLARED AN EMER FOR AN IMMEDIATE IFR CLRNC WHICH ANOTHER ACFT RELAYED TO CTR. JUST AS I WAS REACHING CTLED AIRSPACE AT 3000 FT; I ESTABLISHED RADIO AND RADAR CONTACT WITH CTR AND HE GAVE ME A CLRNC. THE FLT CONTINUED WITH NO OTHER PROBLEMS. CONCLUSION: BECAUSE FDK ARPT FALLS UNDER BALTIMORE'S AIRSPACE; I SHOULD HAVE FILED FROM MARTINSBURG TO PICK UP MY CLRNC WITH DULLES. CONCERNING CONTINUED VFR FLT INTO MARGINAL CONDITIONS; I THINK SEVERAL FACTORS PLAYED A PART IN MY DECISION. FIRST; BECAUSE I HEARD A REQUEST FOR AN IFR CLRNC DENIED BECAUSE THE PLT COULD NOT CLB VFR TO MVA/MEA; I WAS RELUCTANT TO CALL CTR. SECOND; MORGANTOWN FSS HAD RPTED 4500 BROKEN BEFORE MY DEP; I THOUGHT CONDITIONS WOULD NOT BECOME ANY WORSE AND I WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE TERRAIN. I WILL DEFINITELY USE A MORE CONSERVATIVE DECISION PROCESS CONCERNING VFR FLT.