A C172 PVT PLT LOSES HIS VHF COM CAPABILITY DURING A NIGHT OP AND AFTER BEING NEAR IMC IN VFR FLT AT 300 FT AGL LANDS AT HIS HOME ARPT OF DAB; FL.

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AT XA30; I DEPARTED DAB; VFR; FOR LCL SATELLITE ARPTS AT ORMOND BEACH AND NEW SMYRNA BEACH TO COMPLETE NIGHT CURRENCY LNDGS. UPON RETURN TO 10 NM CHKPOINT TO RETURN TO DAB CLASS C AIRSPACE; ALONG THE BEACH; I DISCOVERED THAT I COULD NOT RECEIVE ANY COM ON EITHER NAV/COM. AFTER CIRCLING BEYOND THE CLASS C AIRSPACE; ATTEMPTING TO RECEIVE BY CHANGING HEADSETS AND OTHER HEADSET JACKS; AND TRYING TO USE THE SPEAKER; I NOTICED THAT THE STRATUS/FOG CLOUD LYING BTWN THE CHKPOINT AND DAB INTL THICKENING. I DISCOVERED I HAD PROBABLY 400 FT OF CEILING AND AT LEAST 3 NM HORIZ VISIBILITY. BELIEVING THE CONDITIONS COULD WORSEN; I CHOSE TO SQUAWK COMS FAILURE (7600) (I MISTAKENLY SQUAWKED 7500!) AND HAVING 'RETURN HOMEITIS;' CONTINUOUSLY XMITTED TO DAB APCH AND DAB TWR THAT I WAS EXPERIENCING COM PROBS; AND MY INTENTION TO RETURN TO DAB INTL; USING THE USUAL L DOWNWIND TO RWY 7L. I HAD PLENTY OF HORIZ VISIBILITY (GREATER THAN 3 MI); BUT THE CEILING WAS DECREASING RAPIDLY TO BELOW 500 FT. BY THE TIME I TURNED TO CROSS THE COAST; I FOUND THAT I COULD EASILY FOLLOW HWY 92 WITH ITS STREET LIGHTS AT ABOUT 300 FT AGL FOR MY DOWNWIND LEG. I HAD TO ALTER MY BASE LEG TO AVOID AN AREA NEAR THE APCH END OF THE RWY BELIEVED TO BE OBSCURED BY THICKER FOG/STRATUS CLOUDS. THANKFULLY; I WAS ABLE TO THEN SEE CLRLY TO MAKE A SAFE MIDFIELD LNDG ON THE BRIGHTLY-LIT RWY 7L. I RPTED THE NAV/COM FAILURE TO MAINT ON USUAL MAINT FORM; GNDING THE ACFT. IN SUMMARY; 2 INCREDIBLE EVENTS HAPPENED AT THE SAME TIME: 1) COMS FAILURE AND 2) DETERIORATION OF VISIBILITY. I HAD THE SCARE OF MY LIFE -- AND CERTAINLY HAVE LEARNED A GREAT DEAL FROM THIS HARROWING EXPERIENCE! ALREADY; OUR FACILITY FLYING CLUB SCHOOL HAS THOROUGHLY INTERVIEWED ME; AND HELD A SAFETY STAND-DOWN MEETING. I AM TAKING A SERIOUS; PRO-ACTIVE APPROACH TO MAKING SURE NOTHING LIKE THIS EVER HAPPENS TO ME OR THE OTHER MEMBER PLTS AGAIN! I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT I WAS NOT TRYING TO SHOW OFF; NOR BE A SMART-ALEC IN ANY WAY! I AM THOROUGHLY EMBARRASSED AND AM VERY SORRY FOR INCONVENIENCES AND/OR STRESS I MAY HAVE CAUSED ANYONE. IN HINDSIGHT; WHICH IS 20/20; I NOW REALIZE I SHOULD HAVE LANDED AT NEW SMYRNA BEACH ARPT; AND LEFT THE PLANE THERE FOR MAINT PEOPLE TO REPAIR THE NAV/COM SIT. MY RETURN HOMEITIS COULD HAVE CERTAINLY CAUSED MUCH SADDER RESULTS. I AM DETERMINED TO MAKE THIS EXPERIENCE A MOTIVATION TO FURTHER EDUCATE MYSELF AND OTHERS REGARDING RETURN HOMEITIS. I HAVE ALSO DETERMINED THAT I SHOULD ALWAYS EQUIP MYSELF WITH BACKUP ITEMS; SUCH AS A HAND-HELD RADIO AND/OR CELL PHONE; AS WELL AS ALTERNATIVE PLANS FOR EVERY POINT OF EVERY FLT.