AN ATX SMA FREIGHTER PLT DEPARTED WITH KNOWN ELECTRICAL GENERATOR PROBS INTO BAD WINTER WX AND LOST MOST OF HIS ELECTRICALLY PWRED SYS; BUT FORTUNATELY WAS ABLE TO RETURN WITH THE HELP OF A HIGHLY SKILLED CTLR.

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WAS ON MY WAY TO DICKENSON; ND; FROM ANOKA; MN; AND STOPPED INTO BISMARCK; ND; ON THE WAY. THIS WAS A PART 135 FREIGHT RUN. I HAD NOTICED THAT MY R ALTERNATOR VOLTAGE WAS NOT AS HIGH AS THE L; AND IT APPEARED AT TIMES TO SURGE. WITH THE KNOWLEDGE I HAD; I TRIED TO REMEDY THE PROB BY TAKING IT ON- AND OFF-LINE TO RECYCLE THE ALTERNATOR. IN BISMARCK; I CALLED BACK TO BASE AND WAS TOLD TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT ON THE OTHER END (DICKENSON). WHEN DEPARTING BIS TO DIK; MY BATTERY WAS LOW AND I HAD TO GET A JUMP START. DUE TO THE SEVERE COLD CONDITIONS AND BEING UNFAMILIAR WITH ENVIRONMENT; I THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT. I DID A LONGER RUN-UP AND ASSURED THAT THE BATTERY WAS TAKING A CHARGE AND THAT THE ALTERNATORS (AT LEAST THE L) WERE PICKING UP THE CHARGE. DEPARTING BIS; IT WAS SNOWING; ICING; AND IMC CONDITIONS; SO I HAD TO TURN ON ALL ELECTRICAL EQUIP PERTINENT FOR FLT (PITOT HEAT; PROPS; HEAT PLATE; ETC). THIS WAS OBVIOUSLY TOO MUCH LOAD FOR THE CHARGE BEING PRODUCED. SHORTLY AFTER TKOF IN IMC; I REALIZED THE PANEL LIGHTS WERE BECOMING DIM FOLLOWED BY LOSS OF XMITTING CAPABILITY ON RADIOS. I TRIED ALL APPROPRIATE SITUATIONAL PROCS TO REMEDY THE PROB; SUCH AS TURNING OFF ALL UNNECESSARY ELECTRICAL EQUIP; RECYCLING ALTERNATOR; MASTER; ETC. I WAS DOWN TO 1 RADIO AND A FLASHLIGHT AT 8000 FT MSL IMC; SNOW AND ICE. I WAS LOSING RADIO COM WITH THE CTLR. HE WAS CALLING AND I WAS CALLING. I COULD HEAR HIM; BUT HE COULD ONLY HEAR A 'CARRIER WAVE ONLY' AND EVEN THAT WAS FADING FAST. I TURNED ON THE EMER AVIONICS SWITCH AND RECEIVED SOME ADDITIONAL PWR TO THE RADIO; BUT STILL NO XMIT. THE CTLR AND I WERE RE-ESTABLISHING COM THROUGH 'CLICKING' THE MICROPHONE WITH THE RESPONSE OF '2 CLICKS' MEANING I UNDERSTOOD. THE CTLR ASKED IF I WOULD LIKE TO RETURN TO BIS AND I GLADLY REPLIED! WE TRIED THE ILS; BUT THE RADIO PWR WAS NOT ENOUGH FOR THE VOR TO WORK. I WAS ZERO ON NAV ABILITY OTHER THAN THE CTLR'S VECTORS. WE CONCLUDED THE SAGA WITH AN ASR APCH BACK INTO BIS USING THE PUSH-TO-TALK TO COMMUNICATE VECTORS AND ALT. I HAD TO LAND WITHOUT ANY LIGHTS ON A SNOW COVERED RWY. I NEVER DECLARED AN ACTUAL EMER; BUT I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE IF SOMEONE COULD HAVE HEARD ME. SINCE THE PWR WAS DRAINED; THE XPONDER WAS INOP AT THE TIME ALSO. AFTER THE FLT; THE ACFT WAS FOUND TO HAVE SOME OTHER ELECTRICAL PROBS OTHER THAN THE ALTERNATOR INCLUDING A BAD VOLTAGE REGULATOR; ANNUNCIATOR LIGHTS NOT WORKING PROPERLY; ETC; AND THEY ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON IT AS WE SPEAK TO FIND ANY OTHER PROBS WHICH MIGHT EXIST. I WAS CLOSING IN ON MY DUTY TIME LIMITS BEFORE DEPARTING AND WAS TIRED. THIS COULD HAVE PLAYED A ROLE IN THE DECISION TO CONTINUE THE FLT JUST SO I COULD GET BACK AND GET SOME SLEEP; INSTEAD OF HAVING IT LOOKED AT IN BISMARCK VERSUS DICKENSON. MY COMPANY WANTED THE ACFT BACK IN DICKENSON TO BE LOOKED AT WHERE PARTS WOULD BE READILY AVAILABLE; ETC.