C210 DEPARTED CHS IFR IN IMC CONDITIONS. AT 400 FT AGL HAD COMPLETE FAILURE OF ELECTRICAL SYS. ABLE TO CLB VIA VACUUM INST TO VFR CONDITIONS AND AFTER SOME TIME FOUND VFR CONDITIONS TO LAND AT GGE. CALLED ATC AND ADVISED OF THE PROB. FOUND BATTERY WEAK PREVENTING REACTIVATION OF THE ALTERNATOR AFTER GEAR RETRACTION.

Narrative

IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF (APPROX 400 FT AGL) TOTAL ELECTRICAL SYS FAILED RESULTING IN LOSS OF 2-WAY COM; VOR; LORAN; ADF AND ALL ELECTRONIC INSTS. ACFT WAS IN IMC AT THE TIME OF FAILURE. CONTINUED CLB USING VACUUM- OPERATED ARTIFICIAL HORIZON; AIRSPD INDICATOR AND ALTIMETER AND ACHIEVED VMC AT APPROX 1000 FT AGL. CONTINUED CLB TO 2000 FT MSL AND FLEW 2 MINS ON 270 DEG HDG. ESTABLISHED HOLDING PATTERN AND WENT THROUGH ELECTRICAL SYS FAILURE CHKLIST PER POH. AFTER APPROX 1 HR; IDENTED 2 RADIO TWRS PROTRUDING ABOVE OVCST APPROX 5 MI SE OF CHS. HELD AT THOSE TWRS AT 2000 FT MSL FOR APPROX 30 MINS TO MAINTAIN ORIENTATION. PLT NOTICED BREAKS IN OVCST IN VICINITY OF 8S5. ATTEMPTED 2 VISUAL APCHS TO 8S5 BUT WAS UNABLE TO MAKE VISUAL CONTACT WITH ARPT WHILE VFR. THEN CLBED TO 3000 FT MSL AND HELD AT 2 RADIO TWRS (2000 FT) N OF 8S5. THEN NOTICED CLR WX TOWARD NE. FLEW VFR AND LANDED AT GGE. PLT CALLED FSS AND CANCELED IFR FLT PLAN AND SPOKE WITH CHS ATC AND ADVISED FAILURE OF COM AND NAV. INSPECTION BY A&E REVEALED WEAK BATTERY. ACTIVATION OF GEAR-UP MECHANISM (25 AMP) CAUSED ALTERNATOR TO STOP. WEAK BATTERY HAD INSUFFICIENT RESERVE TO REACTIVATE ALTERNATOR.