A PA28 PLT; DISTR BY A RADIO PROB; DEVIATED FROM HIS ASSIGNED HDG IN SCT AIRSPACE.

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I WAS ON THE GLENDALE 8 DEP FROM VNY ON AN IFR FLT TO SNA. THE SID CALLED FOR XING VNY 2.2 DME AT OR BELOW 1700 FT; FOLLOWED BY A L TURN TO 110 DEGS FOR VECTORS TO VNY 095 DEG RADIAL. AS I BEGAN MY TURN TO THE 110 DEG HDG; I WAS HANDED OFF TO SOCAL BY VNY TWR. UPON SWITCHING TO SOCAL'S FREQ; I EXPERIENCED RADIO PROBS (I COULD BARELY HEAR SOCAL). MY ATTN TO THE RADIO PROB ALLOWED ME TO DEVIATE TO THE E OF THE 110 DEG HDG. WHEN I RESOLVED THE RADIO PROB AND ESTABLISHED CLR COM WITH SOCAL; THE CTLR QUESTIONED ME AS TO WHY I WAS NOT ADHERING TO THE 110 DEG HDG. I EXPLAINED THAT I HAD BEEN EXPERIENCING RADIO PROBS AND APOLOGIZED FOR MY HDG DEV. HE GAVE ME A VECTOR ON COURSE AND I RECEIVED NO FURTHER COMMENTS AS TO THIS MATTER FOR THE DURATION OF THE FLT. MY HDG DEV WAS CAUSED BY MY DISTR WITH RESOLVING THE RADIO PROB. THAT IS; BY FAILING TO ATTEND TO THE MAXIM 'AVIATE NAVIGATE; COMMUNICATE.' I SHOULD NOT HAVE ALLOWED MYSELF TO COMPROMISE MY ADHERENCE TO THE INST DEP PROC; PARTICULARLY THE HDG. IN THE FUTURE; I WILL AVOID THIS MISTAKE BY MAINTAINING THE PROPER VIGILANCE OVER THE NAV REQUIREMENTS OF THE FLT WHILE I AM ATTEMPTING TO RESOLVE OTHER COCKPIT PROBS.