ACFT LOSES ELECTRICAL PWR IN MIXED CLOUDS AND PLT DIVERTS TO VFR ARPT. ENRTE TO ALTERNATE; PLT DECIDES TO RETRY ORIGINAL DEST; HAS TO DIVERT SECOND TIME.

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I TOOK OFF FROM JACKSONVILLE CRAIG ARPT WITH AN OPERABLE ALTIMETER WHICH CHKED OUT OK ON THE RUNUP. AFTER 1/3 OF THE WAY ENRTE THE AMMETER SHOWED A DISCHARGE. I WENT TO THE CHKLIST; RECYCLED THE MASTER AND CHKED THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS. THE ALTERNATOR DIDN'T COME BACK ON-LINE AND THE BATTERY CONTINUED TO DISCHARGE. I NOTIFIED CTR THAT I HAD AN ELECTRICAL PROB AND CONTINUED TOWARDS TAMPA WHICH WAS VFR. I REDUCED ELECTRICAL LOAD TO PRESERVE THE BATTERY. IN THE MEANTIME; I DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH PWR TO XMIT AND LOST COMS. I SHUT OFF THE RADIO AND MASTER SWITCH. WHEN I WAS IN RANGE I SET UP THE #1 NAV FOR AN ILS APCH AND TRIED TO MONITOR THE APCH FREQ; WHEN EVERYTHING ELECTRICAL FADED AWAY. I COULD NOT SEE TAMPA BECAUSE OF THE THIN SCATTERED LAYER OVER THE ARPT. I WAS NOW VFR BUT ABOVE THE CLOUD DECK. I COULD SEE ST PETERSBERG WHICH IS TAMPA'S NEIGHBORING ARPT AND TURNED TOWARDS IT. I REALLY WANTED TO GET INTO TAMPA SO I TURNED BACK TOWARD IT AND HAD NO LUCK. SO I DECIDED TO GO INTO ST PETERSBURG; CIRCLED THE TWR; RECEIVED THE GREEN LIGHT GUN SIGNAL AND PUMPED THE GEAR DOWN; AND DID A NO FLAP LNDG. THERE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT I WOULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY AND FEEL WOULD HELP PREVENT THE PROB. 1ST OF ALL; I WOULD HAVE TURNED BACK TO MY DEP ARPT EARLIER. 2ND; ONCE I CONFIRMED THAT I COULDN'T SEE TAMPA; I SHOULD HAVE LANDED AT THE FIRST SIGHT OF ST PETERSBURG INSTEAD OF TRYING TO LOCATE TAMPA WITH NIGHTFALL COMING ON. ALSO EVERY PF SINGLE ENG IFR SHOULD HAVE A HAND HELD TRANSCEIVER WITH THEM. LASTLY; THERE SHOULD BE SOME TYPE OF REGULAR OVERHAUL SCHEDULED FOR AN ALTERNATOR; OR ONLY A CERTAIN NUMBER OF YRS AN ALTERNATOR CAN BE USED BEFORE IT IS REMOVED FROM SVC.