PF INTO OWD; MA; HAS DIFFICULTY FLYING IFR APCHS AND EXECUTES A MISSED APCH PATTERN IN ORDER TO TAKE THE TIME NOT TO BE RUSHED ON THE APCH.

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2 PIECES OF EQUIP WERE INOP. 1) MY APCH TIMER; WHICH I NORMALLY SET TO COUNT DOWN FROM THE FINAL APCH FIX. 2) THE FREQ KNOB ON MY SECOND VOR HAD COME OFF EARLIER IN THE DAY. IN ADDITION; I HAD LEFT MY SECOND FLASHLIGHT OUT OF REACH IN THE BACK SEAT. I MADE 2 APCHS. ON THE FIRST; I FAILED TO DSND AGGRESSIVELY ENOUGH BECAUSE I WAS FUMBLING WITH MY APCH TIMER JUST AS I WAS CLRED FOR THE APCH. I HADN'T SET IT EARLIER AND WAS JUST DISCOVERING THE BATTERY HAD DIED AS I PASSED THE NDB; HAVING INTERCEPTED THE LOC A FEW MOMENTS EARLIER. I SHORTLY REALIZED I WOULD HAVE TO USE A DIFFERENT TIMER AND ESTIMATED A CONSERVATIVE TIME FOR THE REMAINDER OF MY FINAL APCH SEGMENT. I BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS RIGHT OVER THE RWY AT 600 FT AND EXECUTED A MISSED APCH. ON THE MISSED I SET UP THE BOSTON VOR WHICH WAS PART OF THE MISSED APCH PROC; RE-ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH BOSTON APCH AND WAS VECTORED FOR MY SECOND TRY. ON MY SECOND TRY I DECIDED TO SLOW THINGS DOWN AND MAKE SURE I HAD PLENTY OF TIME. I DECIDED TO USE THE AUTOPLT TO MAINTAIN MY COURSE WHILE I AGGRESSIVELY DSNDED TO DECISION HT. I INTERCEPTED THE LOC; HAVING JUST SET THE VOR BACK TO THE RIGHT FREQ; AND STARTED FIDDLING WITH THE AUTOPLT. PASSING THE NDB HAD ALREADY OCCURRED WHEN I GOT THE AUTOPLT SET TO THE 'LOC' SETTING. I SPENT A FEW SECONDS FIDDLING WITH THIS DIAL BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE A WORKING FLASHLIGHT IN HAND AND THE SHADOW OF THE YOKE (ILLUMINATED BY THE CABIN LIGHT) FALLS ON THIS DIAL AND ITS LABELS. I WAS ALREADY DSNDING ON THE FINAL APCH SEGMENT; STARTED THE TIMER; CHKED THE APCH PROFILE ONCE AGAIN; AND BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS. IT SEEMED TO ME THAT THIS WHOLE PROC WAS ONLY A FEW SECONDS IN DURATION. JUST AS I BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS I CHKED THE VOR. IT WAS AT THIS POINT THAT I REALIZED I WAS OFF COURSE; AND THAT THE LOC NEEDLE WAS PINNED. WHEN I SWITCHED ON THE AUTOPLT; I HAVE TO ASSUME; I WAS ALREADY OFF COURSE. THE LAST TIME I HAD LOOKED AT THE VOR; WHICH WAS SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET OF DSCNT EARLIER; IT HAD BEEN DEAD ON. IN ANY CASE; I QUICKLY LOCATED THE RWY VISUALLY AND LANDED; BUT I HAD BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY OFF COURSE DURING A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE DSCNT. REAL CAUSES: CHANGES IN PROC BREAKING MY CONCENTRATION. PREVENTIVE ACTIONS: GO OUT WITH MY INSTRUCTOR AND PRACTICE EQUIP FAILURE SCENARIOS IN THE DARK.