PVT PLT OF A SMA SEL DURING A VFR APCH TO LAND AT UNCTLED ARPT IS LOWER THAN TFC PATTERN DUE TO AN ERRONEOUS SETTING OF ALTIMETER.

Narrative

VFR FLT FROM PAD TO S03 (ASHLAND MUNI). OBTAINED ALTIMETER SETTING FROM UNICOM WHILE 5 PLUS MI OUT. CROSSED FIELD OUTBOUND ON 90 DEGS AT (WHAT I BELIEVED WAS) 1000 FT ABOVE TFC PATTERN ALT (2894 MSL IS TPA). WHILE DSNDING TO TPA TRANSITIONING TO A 45 DEG PATH TO DOWNWIND FOR RWY 30 I REALIZED THAT ACFT APPEARED TOO LOW OVER TOWN OF ASHLAND AND THE APPARENT ALT WAS IN CONFLICT WITH THE ALTIMETER READING. I APPLIED FULL PWR TO CLB TO AN ALT WHICH LOOKED TO ME LIKE 1000 FT AGL AND COMPLETED THE LNDG. ON LNDG ALTIMETER SHOWED ABOVE 200 PLUS FT ABOVE FILED ELEVATION. EITHER THE ALTIMETER SETTING OBTAINED FROM UNICOM WAS INCORRECT OR I SET THE ALTIMETER INCORRECTLY. I SHOULD HAVE RECOGNIZED THE LOW ALT SIT SOONER BUT THE CONFUSION CAUSED BY THE ALTIMETER CAUSED ME TO DELAY ACTION BEYOND WHAT I SHOULD HAVE TOLERATED VISUALLY. IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN. WHEN MY EYES TELL ME I'M TOO LOW; I WILL DISREGARD THE ALTIMETER. A FURTHER CONTRIBUTION WAS THE SMALL NUMBER OF HRS FLOWN IN THE LAST 10-11 MONTHS. 1.2 HRS IN DECEMBER AND 9.4 IN JULY. THIS WAS MY FIRST FLT IN 11 MONTHS IN A CESSNA 182. I ALSO SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED THE ASHLAND ALTIMETER SETTING AS IT RESULTED IN A LARGE CHANGE FROM THAT USED ENRTE (BASED ON ATIS XMISSIONS OF ARPT ALONG COURSE).