AA5 PLT HAD ELECTRICAL FAILURE.

Narrative

I DEPARTED CAMARILLO ARPT AT APPROX XB15 LCL AND PLANNED TO TAKE MY 2 NON PLT PAX OVER THE SIMI AND SAN FERNANDO VALLEYS ON A VFR PLEASURE FLT. DEPARTING CMA; I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT MUGU APCH ON 124.67 FOR FLT FOLLOWING/ADVISORIES AS I MADE MY WAY OVER THE SIMI VALLEY. THE RESPONSES I GOT TO MY REQUESTS WERE THAT MY XMISSION WAS GARBLED AND I SHOULD TRY ANOTHER RADIO. SWITCHING TO ANOTHER RADIO RECEIVED NO RESPONSE AT ALL; AS DID GOING BACK TO THE ORIGINAL RADIO. AS RADIO COM WAS BECOMING A PROB; I TRIED AND DECIDED TO LAND AT VNY ARPT. AT 7 OR 8 MI FROM THE FIELD; I CALLED IN AT 119.3 REPEATEDLY WITH NO RESPONSE. BOTH RADIOS WERE NOW TOTALLY UNUSABLE; AND THE NUMERIC LED INDICATOR LIGHTS ON THE RADIO WERE FLICKERING. I REALIZED THE SIT HAD DETERIORATED TO A POINT WHERE I HAD A COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE. I THEN WEIGHTED MY OPTIONS FOR A LNDG. CMA HAD A FOG BANK TO THE W WHEN WE LEFT AND IT HAD BEEN MOVING QUICKLY EASTWARD. SANTA MONICA WOULD HAVE REQUIRED TRANSITIONING THE BUSY SEPULVEDA PASS CORRIDOR AS WELL AS XING THE SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS. BURBANK WAS A BUSY ARSA WITH COMMERCIAL ACRS. I ORBITED FOR VNY AT ABOUT 2-3 MI TO THE W; ABOVE THE CLASS D; AND OBSERVED NO TFC IN THE PATTERN. I REPEATEDLY TRIED TO CONTACT VNY TO NO AVAIL. I BELIEVED I HAD AN EMER SIT BECAUSE THE ELECTRICAL FLAPS WOULD BE INOP; AND FELT THAT MORE SERIOUS PROBS COULD RESULT FROM THE ELECTRICAL FAILURE. I FELT THAT I HAD TO LAND IMMEDIATELY; SO I CAUTIOUSLY BEGAN A BASE ENTRY TO RWY 16R; THE RWY DIRECTION NORMALLY USED AT VNY IN THE ABSENCE OF UNUSUAL (SANTA ANA) WIND CONDITIONS; WHICH WERE NOT EVIDENT AT SMO OR CMA. WHILE ON A 1 MI FINAL; I SAW A LIGHTED VEHICLE AT THE FAR END OF RWY 16R; AND I ASSUMED IT WAS A MOTOR VEHICLE XING THE UNUSED RWY. THE LIGHT APPEARED TO MOVE ALONG THE RWY; IN MY DIRECTION OF FLT. WHILE ON SHORT FINAL I RECOGNIZED THE LIGHT TO BE THAT OF AN ACFT TAKING OFF FROM RWY 34L. I QUICKLY BEGAN A GAR; AND DIVERTED SHARPLY TO THE L. THE OTHER ACFT HAD NOW BEGAN A TKOF AND CLBOUT AND DIVERTED AWAY FROM MY ACFT TO AVOID XING OUR PATH. AFTER PASSING THE ACFT; I CAUTIOUSLY FLEW A TEARDROP PATTERN; ENTERING A SBOUND DOWNWIND FOR RWY 34L AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. I PARKED AT THE BASE OF THE TWR AND IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED VNY ATC. AS I HAD 2 NON FLYING PAX ON BOARD AND FELT I HAD AN EMER SIT; I HAD EXPEDITED MY EFFORTS TO SAFELY LAND THE ACFT. I HAVE SINCE REVIEWED THE RADIO-OUT AND ELECTRICAL FAILURE PROCS AND WILL MORE DIRECTLY FOLLOW THESE PROCS SHOULD SUCH A PROB OCCUR IN THE FUTURE. I HAVE ALSO PURCHASED A HAND-HELD PORTABLE AVIATION RADIO AND SHALL NEVER AGAIN FLY WITHOUT IT.!