IMC IN VFR FLT BY PVT PLT.

Narrative

DEPARTED CHICO AREA VFR IN VMC TO MARYSVILLE. MARYSVILLE WAS IMC WHEN I DEPARTED BY AUTO BUT FORECAST TO IMPROVE TO VMC BY AFTERNOON. AS THE FLT PROGRESS; WX BEGAN TO DETERIORATE. ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT MARYSVILLE FSS; BUT UNABLE. I COULD RECEIVE BUT NOT XMIT ON EITHER RADIO. BY THIS TIME I ESTABLISHED THAT THERE WAS A RADIO PROB; I WAS APPROX HALFWAY BTWN VMC AND THE DEST ARPT. I DECIDED TO CONTINUE TO DEST WHICH WAS APPROX 10 MI TO THE S. I MONITORED MY RADIOS; BECAUSE I COULD STILL RECEIVE; AND DETERMINED THERE WAS ANOTHER ACFT DOING ILS APCH TO MARYSVILLE. I KNEW THAT THE ALT AT THE IAP IS PUBLISHED AT 1600 FT AND I KNOW WHERE THE OM IS. THIS IS WHY I STAYED AT 1100 FT WHICH IS ALSO PATTERN ALT AT MARYSVILLE; AND KEPT A MENTAL PICTURE OF THE OTHER ACFT'S POS. AFTER ACFT WENT MISSED APCH; I WAITED 3-4 MIN BEFORE LNDG. MY MISTAKE WAS THAT I DIDN'T GET AN UPDATED WX RPT BEFORE DEP. IF I HAD; THE FLT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ATTEMPTED. THE WX WAS FORECAST TO BE JUST LIKE THE DAY BEFORE; AND FROM ALL INDICATIONS IT SEEMED THAT IT WOULD BE. I AM USUALLY VERY CONSCIENTIOUS ABOUT WX BRIEFINGS AND USUALLY GET THEM AT MARYSVILLE FSS. THE PEOPLE THERE KNOW WHO I AM BECAUSE OF THE FAMILIARITY CREATED BY ALL THE BRIEFINGS. THE 1 TIME I DIDN'T UPDATE MY INFO. I GOT BURNED. FORTUNATELY THERE WAS NO MISHAP -- NEVER AGAIN.