A C172 PLT FOUND HIMSELF IMC IN VFR FLT.

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UPON RECEIVING A BRIEFING FROM WX BRIEF; I DETERMINED A VFR LCL FLT FROM WST COULD BE MADE SAFELY. I DEPARTED WST; TURNED N BECAUSE THE RPTED WX TO THE S WAS AN AREA OF PRECIP OFF THE COAST AND MOVING EASTWARD NOT IN THE DIRECTION OF WST. THE BRIEFER SAID I SHOULD STAY CLOSE TO WST; JUST IN CASE THINGS CHANGED. SOON AFTER DEP; WST WENT IFR WITH CEILINGS AT 300 FT. THAT WAS BELOW MINIMUMS. I WAS STILL VFR WITH CEILING APPROX 1500-1700 FT. I WAS IN AN AREA 7-10 NM IN DIAMETER. I TUNED IN NORWICH VOR TO KEEP SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND TRIED TO CONTACT APCH CTL; BUT WAS UNABLE TO GET A RESPONSE. I HAD FULL TANKS; FUEL WAS NO PROB. I FOLLOWED THE EDGE OF THE 'BUBBLE' OF VFR SEARCHING FOR AN ARPT AFTER A FAILED ATTEMPT TO TRACK TO NORWICH VOR. I ATTEMPTED TO COMMUNICATE WITH FLT WATCH ON 122.0 -- NO LUCK. MY CEILING WAS NOW 1200 FT. I FLEW AROUND AND ACROSS MY AREA OF VFR LOOKING FOR AN ARPT. I WAS LOST. FOCUSED ON STAYING OUT OF CLOUDS; UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE OR NAV -- WAS IN TROUBLE. MY VFR AREA HAD CLOSED IN; I WAS IN IMC AT 1000 FT. I HAD TO GET IN CONTACT WITH SOMEONE AND DEFINITELY NEEDED ALT. BEING IFR RUSTY; AND TURB ADDING TO THE MIX; I WRESTLED WITH THE PLANE WHILE CLBING; THEN TUNED TO 121.5. TOLD THEM WHO I WAS; MY SIT. I GOT A SQUAWK CODE. I WAS UP TO 2700 FT. THEY HAD ME ON RADAR AND ASKED ME IF I COULD DO AN APCH INTO PROVIDENCE WITH A FREQ CHANGE TO PVD APCH AND RADAR VECTORS. WITH THE TURB; I HAD TROUBLE HOLDING COURSE AND ALT. FOLLOWING THE ILS BREAKING OUT OF CLOUDS AT 900 FT WITH 2 MI VISIBILITY; I LANDED ON RWY 23L. CONCLUSION: 1) I SHOULD HAVE EXPECTED THE WX TO BE WORSE THAN EXPECTED BEING A COASTAL AREA. 2) THE YOKE MOUNTED GPS WAS MISSING. I COULD HAVE LOCATED AN ARPT IN VFR CONDITIONS AS MY VFR AREA MOVED ACROSS THE STATE. 3) I WILL RETHINK MY PERSONAL MINIMUMS!