A C172 PLT RPTS OF ADIZ PENETRATION WITHOUT PRIOR NOTIFICATION. THE RPTR HAD DEPARTED S BIMINI AND COULD NOT XMIT TO MIA APCH. THE PLT CONTINUED TOWARD THE UNITED STATES; AND WAS NOT ABLE TO ESTABLISH CONTACT UNTIL 8 NM FROM MIA. THE ACFT'S RADIO WAS NOT XMITTING PROPERLY.

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THIS WAS MY FIRST FLT TO BIMINI. I DEPARTED TMB IN MIAMI. I RECEIVED A SQUAWK CODE AND FLT FOLLOWING FROM MIAMI APCH. I PICKED UP 2 FRIENDS IN BIMINI AND TOOK OFF HDG S TOWARDS CAT CAY TO GAIN ALT AND TO GET A SQUAWK FROM MIAMI APCH. AT 3000 FT I WAS UNABLE TO MAKE CONTACT. I CONTINUED A CLB TO MY INTENDED CRUISE ALT OF 4500 FT AND TRIED MIA APCH AGAIN; AND HAD NO LUCK. I WAS BACK NEAR BIMINI AT THIS POINT. AFTER TRYING SEVERAL DIFFERENT FREQS FOR MIAMI APCH I DECIDED TO CROSS THE ADIZ THINKING MY PROB WAS DISTANCE. BEFORE I MADE THIS FLT I HAD CALLED MIA FSS WHO INFORMED ME THAT IT WAS ACCEPTABLE TO PENETRATE THE ADIZ; AS THEY REALIZED IT IS DIFFICULT TO REACH THE ALT NEEDED TO CONTACT MIA APCH IN SOME LOWER POWERED AIRPLANES. I CONTINUED ACROSS TOWARDS TMB (MY INTENDED DEST) AND TRIED TO CONTACT MIA APCH; THE WHOLE WAY BACK. I FINALLY MADE CONTACT WITH MIA APCH AT 8 NM FROM THE VIRGINIA KEY VOR. MIA GAVE ME A SQUAWK AND A TELEPHONE NUMBER TO CONTACT ZMA ONCE I TOUCHED DOWN. THEY ALSO INFORMED UNITED STATES CUSTOMS OF MY ARR TIME. I EXPLAINED MY PROB TO CUSTOMS AND ZMA. I COULD RECEIVE AS FAR AS BIMINI BUT COULD NOT XMIT. EVEN AT 8 NM FROM VIRGINIA KEY VOR MIA APCH SAID MY XMISSION WAS WEAK. THIS PLANE HAD BEEN CHKED OUT 2 TIMES THE WK PRIOR TO MY TRIP FOR RADIO XMISSION PROBS. PRIOR TO TKOF IN BIMINI I HAD FILED A VFR FLT PLAN WITH ADCUS IN THE REMARKS SECTION. I ALSO TRIED TO ACTIVATE IT AND GET A SQUAWK CODE THROUGH THE BIMINI VOR. I WAS TOLD AHEAD OF TIME (PRIOR TO MAKING THE TRIP) THAT THIS DOESN'T ALWAYS WORK. THE DAY AFTER THE FLT I WENT BACK OUT TO TMB TO TALK WITH UNITED STATES CUSTOMS AND TRY TO FIND OUT WHAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE. THEY WEREN'T SURE ABOUT FLT PROCS. THEY WERE ONLY CONCERNED WITH ME ENTERING THE UNITED STATES WITHOUT THEIR KNOWLEDGE. I ALSO CALLED ZMA ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED. THEY SAID IF I MADE EVERY ATTEMPT TO TRY RADIO COMS THAT WHAT I DID WAS ACCEPTABLE GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES.