C182 PLT ENCOUNTERED WX AND HAD VHF COM PROB. LANDED AT MOD; NO COM.

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WE WERE ENRTE FROM PSP TO CCR. APPROX 80 NM S OF CONCORD WE OBSERVED A BLACK WALL OF RAIN ACROSS OUR FLT PATH. I TURNED NE TO AVOID THE WX. I FOUND THE WX WAS CLOSING US OFF AND DECIDED TO SET DOWN AT MER. WE WAITED OUT THE STORM ON THE GND FOR APPROX 3 HRS. THE WX IMPROVED AND WE COULD SEE APPROX 20 MI TO THE W AND N. A PLANE ARRIVED AT CASTLE AND THE 2 PLTS TOLD US THE WX WAS CLR AND IMPROVING. SINCE WE COULD SEE AT LEAST 10 MI AND HAD A CEILING OF APPROX 1500 FT WE DECIDED TO CONTINUE. AFTER TKOF WE PROCEEDED N. APPROX 5 MI S OF MODESTO WE WERE INSTANTLY ENVELOPED BY CLOUDS AND STRONG WIND. I SET MY VOR TO 114.6 WHICH IS MODESTO AND ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT MODESTO TWR 125.3. I MADE SEVERAL CALLS AND DIDN'T RECEIVE ANY ACKNOWLEDGMENT. I CONTINUED TO XMIT IN THE BLIND AND ADVISED I WAS LNDG MODESTO. I HAD GOOD GND VISIBILITY AND WAS ABLE TO RECOGNIZE THE FIELD. I IMMEDIATELY SET THE PLANE DOWN ON RWY 28. AS I TAXIED OFF THE FIELD I WAS GIVEN A GREEN LIGHT. I CONTACTED GND ON MY HAND-HELD RADIO TO ADVISE THE TWR OF MY PROB. I NEXT FOUND ONE OF MY SELECTOR SWITCHES IN THE OFF POS; RESET THE SWITCH AND THE RADIO WAS WORKING AGAIN. THE SPRING ON THE SWITCH WAS NOT HOLDING THE SWITCH ON AND PROBABLY WAS KNOCKED INTO THE NEUTRAL POS DURING THE TURB WE ENCOUNTERED. THE SWITCH HAS SINCE BEEN REPLACED. THERE WAS NO REAL DANGER TO US BUT WE DID LAND AT A FIELD IN IMC WITHOUT CLRNC. THE TWR CHASTISED US PRETTY WELL BUT THEY WERE ALSO VERY HELPFUL AND UNDERSTANDING.