RPTR LOSES ELECTRICAL SYS.

Narrative

I TOOK OFF FROM EWB IN A CESSNA CUTLASS 172RG. I TOOK OFF FROM RWY 14R FOR MY DEST OF MVY. ON BOARD WAS FULL TANKS AND 3 PAX. AT ABOUT 1000 FT I PROCEEDED OVER THE TOWN OF DARTMOUTH; WHICH IS ABOUT 10 MI TO THE SW OF THE ARPT. ABOUT 5 MINS INTO THE FLT MY INST PANEL LIGHTS BEGAN TO FLICKER AND DIM. I LOOKED AT MY AMMETER AND NOTICED A BATTERY DISCHARGE RATE. AT THIS TIME I ABORTED THE FLT AND FLEW BACK TOWARDS THE ARPT WHICH WAS STILL IN SIGHT BY MINIMAL SUNLIGHT. AS I HEADED TOWARDS THE ARPT I PROCEEDED TO CHK MY EQUIP WHICH WAS USED BY ELECTRICITY. FIRST MY RADIOS APPEARED DEAD. I TRIED TO REACH EWB TWR TO ALERT THEM ABOUT MY SIT AND RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. I THEN TESTED MY FLAPS WHICH ALSO HAD NO RESPONSE. I THEN TRIED TO LOWER MY LNDG GEAR BUT AT THE FIRST ATTEMPT I HAD PARTIAL DROPPING OF THE GEARS. I THEN RAISED THEM AGAIN AND DECIDED TO RECYCLE THE MASTERS. I SHUT DOWN ALL EQUIP THAT WAS NOT NECESSARY AND THEN SHUT DOWN THE MASTERS FOR ABOUT 1 MIN AND TURNED THEM ON AGAIN; BUT TO NO AVAIL. I THEN PROCEEDED TO LOWER MY LNDG GEAR AGAIN; AT THE SAME TIME PUMPING THE MANUAL OVERRIDE. I LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW AND FOUND THAT I HAD LNDG GEAR ON MY SIDE; AND A PAX LOOKED FOUND LNDG GEAR ON THEIR SIDE; BUT BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF AN IDENT LIGHT FOR THE NOSE GEAR; I WAS NOT SURE ABOUT IT. AS I ENTERED THE DOWNWIND PATTERN OF RWY 23 I ROCKED MY WINGS TO SIGNAL TO THE TWR MY PROBS. THERE WAS NO RESPONSE AND THE RWY LIGHTS WERE OFF. UPON PROCEEDING DOWNWIND I CONTINUED TO TRY AND REACH THE TWR ON THE RADIO; AND ALSO CALLED MY PATTERNS JUST IN CASE SOMEONE COULD HEAR ME. AS I TURNED ON THE FINAL FOR RWY 23 THE RWY WAS BARELY VISIBLE AND I FOLLOWED THE VASI LIGHTS IN FOR A LNDG. THIS IS THE REASON I PICKED RWY 23 BECAUSE OF ITS VASI SYS; WHEREAS RWY 14R DID NOT HAVE ONE. AFTER LNDG I TAXIED BACK TO MY FBO AND SHUT DOWN THE PLANE. I WAS TOLD THAT THE TWR WANTED TO SPEAK WITH ME; I THEN PROCEEDED TO EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED.