A C173 NON INST RATED PLT INTENTIONALLY FLEW INTO IMC WITH A PARTIAL PANEL AND REQUIRED ASSISTANCE NEAR DBN.

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ALTHOUGH I DID NOT WANT TO BE COMMITTED TO FOLLOWING A FLT PLAN; I INTENDED TO GO AS FAR AS LAKE CITY; FL (LCQ); LAND; REST; AND CHK THE WX AHEAD AT AND NEAR MY GEORGIA DESTINATION. I WISH I HAD FILED A FLT PLAN SO I WOULD HAVE FELT COMPELLED TO STICK WITH IT AND AVOID THE FOLLOWING CRISIS. I CRUISED BTWN 10500-12500 FT KEEPING CLR OF CLOUDS. I WAS MAKING SUCH GOOD TIME I DECIDED TO PASS LCQ SINCE THE CLOUDS WERE STILL BROKEN SO I FELT I COULD DSND IF NECESSARY FURTHER ALONG MY RTE. THE SIT CHANGED SUDDENLY. I NOTICED MY R TANK WAS NEAR EMPTY SOONER THAN I EXPECTED (I HAD NEGLECTED TO LEAN MY MIXTURE) AND THE BROKEN CLOUDS WERE BECOMING NEARLY SOLID BELOW ME. I RADIOED 50 MI AHEAD TO FBO IN DUBLIN. THE FBO PERSON INDICATED A VFR LNDG WAS STILL POSSIBLE. (I'VE SELDOM BEEN SUCCESSFUL CONTACTING AN FSS INFLT SO I DID NOT TRY.) ABOUT 25 NM S OF THE DBN VOR; I LEFT 10500 FT AND ENTERED IMC AT 9500 FT. JUST BEFORE ENTERING; MY GPS (HANDHELD) WENT OFF AND MY SOMETIMES UNRELIABLE ALT INDICATOR WENT BAD. I RELIED ON MY TURN AND BANK COORDINATOR AND SET A VERT SPD DSCNT RATE OF 500 FPM. I EXPECTED TO EMERGE AT 2000 FT. WHEN I DIDN'T; I FELT THE BEGINNINGS OF EXTREME APPREHENSION. I TOLD MACON APCH OF MY SIT. THEY GAVE ME AN ALT OF 2600 FT AND TRIED TO VECTOR ME OVER A HWY. I COULD MAINTAIN ALT BUT NOT A COURSE. MY LOW FUEL WARNING LIGHT WAS ON AND AFTER 20 MINS IN IMC; I INDICATED I WAS GOING TO TRY DSNDING TO VMC OR VFR CONDITIONS. FORTUNATELY; THE FBO MAN AT DBN ARRANGED FOR A PLT TO MEET ME AND LEAD ME TO DBN. THIS ULTIMATELY SAVED MY LIFE BECAUSE I WAS SO STRESSED BY THE TIME I BROKE OUT 1500 FT OVER EAST DUBLIN THAT I COULD FLY; BUT COULDN'T NAV. THE VOICE OF THE MACON CTLR AND THE C172 PLT WHO LED ME TO DBN HELPED GET ME THROUGH. I DID FEEL SOME SATISFACTION IN THE WAY I USED MY PARTIAL PANEL. I'VE FIXED MY PANEL AND PLAN TO FILE AND FOLLOW FLT PLANS; TAKE IFR TRAINING; AND MEANWHILE AVOID ON TOP FLYING AND PRACTICE COM WITH FSS'S.