ALT OVERSHOT. ACFT ALTIMETER FAMILIARITY AND OVERNIGHT PRESSURE CHANGE ARE ISSUES.

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THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO THIS INCIDENT ACTUALLY HAD ITS ROOTS IN MY FLT TO THE KANSAS CITY AREA THE PREVIOUS NOV/THU/01. MY FAMILY AND I MADE A TRIP FROM DBQ TO OA6 TO VISIT MY PARENTS. THE BAROMETRIC PRESSURE AT OA6 WAS IN THE 29.80 TO 29.90 RANGE BASED ON THE ACFT ALTIMETER. OA6 HAS NO WX RPTING CAPABILITIES. DUE TO THE FACT THAT THERE IS NO FUEL AVAILABLE AT OA6; I NEEDED TO MAKE A QUICK FLT TO LXT TO GET FUEL FOR OUR RETURN TRIP TO DBQ. I SET THE ALTIMETER TO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS FIELD ELEVATION AT OA6 (1000 FT) AND FLEW TO LXT FOR FUEL. THE ALTIMETER WAS QUITE A BIT DIFFERENT THAN WHEN I LEFT IT 3 DAYS EARLIER SO I HAD TO MAKE A BIG ADJUSTMENT. AFTER I GOT REFUELED AT LXT; I TAXIED TO THE END OF THE RWY; DID MY RUNUP; AND CALLED KANSAS CITY CLRNC. I TOOK OFF ON RWY 36 AT LXT AND CONTACTED KANSAS CITY APCH AT APPROX 2000 FT MSL A FEW MINS LATER. I WAS CLRED TO 5000 FT AND DIRECT ANX PASSING THROUGH 4000 FT. WHEN I WAS ALMOST STRAIGHT N OF ANX; THE APCH CTLR SAID THAT I WAS CLRED TO 5000 FT AND TO DSND TO 5000 FT. MY ALTIMETER INDICATED 4900 FT AT THE TIME SO I ASKED THE CTLR WHAT HE SHOWED FOR MY ALT; AND HE SAID 6000 FT. I THEN ASKED FOR AN ALTIMETER SETTING AND THEN REALIZED THAT I HAD SET MY ALTIMETER AT OA6 1000 FT LOW AND HAD NOT CAUGHT IT. I IMMEDIATELY DSNDED TO 5000 FT. THIS IS A CLASSIC LOW PRESSURE TO HIGH PRESSURE SCENARIO. WHEN I PARKED THE AIRPLANE; THE BAROMETRIC PRESSURE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN WHEN I LEFT 3 DAYS LATER. AS PIC; IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE MY ALTIMETER IS SET PROPERLY; AMONG ALL OF THE OTHER PREFLT RESPONSIBILITIES. THERE ARE SEVERAL FACTORS INVOLVED IN THIS INCIDENT. I AM USED TO A TAPE STYLE ALTIMETER OR A DRUM STYLE ALTIMETER. I DO NOT FLY WITH A 3 POINTER ALTIMETER VERY OFTEN AND AM NOT USED TO THE DISPLAY. THIS WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN MY MISSETTING THE ALTIMETER TO BEGIN WITH. BOTH OA6 AND LXT FIELD ELEVATIONS ARE VERY NEARLY 1000 FT MSL WHICH; ALONG WITH MY LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE 3 POINTER ALTIMETER CONTRIBUTED TO THE ERROR. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF XCHK; ITEMS ON THE CTLR'S PART THAT FAILED ME ALSO. ON MY INITIAL CALL-UP TO KANSAS CITY APCH; I CALLED WITH MY CURRENT ALT AS WELL AS MY CLRED ALT. THE CTLR DIDN'T CATCH THE 1000 FT DISCREPANCY. I DO NOT RECALL THE CTLR GIVING ME A LCL ALTIMETER SETTING. THAT DOESN'T MEAN HE DIDN'T GIVE IT TO ME BUT USUALLY I XCHK ISSUED ALTIMETER SETTINGS WITH MY ALTIMETER. IN THE FUTURE; WHEN THE ALTIMETER IS SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT THAN WHEN I LEFT IT; I WILL EXERCISE MORE CARE IN SETTING IT. ALSO; IF ATC DOES NOT ISSUE ME AN ALTIMETER SETTING ON INITIAL CONTACT; I WILL ASK FOR ONE.