A C210 PLT RPTED A TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE WHILE IN IMC IN THE VICINITY OF BTR.

Narrative

THE ALTERNATOR FAILED IN IMC WHILE ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM BTR TO DWH WHICH CAUSED AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE. THERE WAS AN UNDERCAST AND LOW CEILINGS ALONG THE RTE WITH CLRING WX EXPECTED FROM THE W AT THE ETA. A HANDHELD RADIO WAS ON BOARD FOR USE DURING SUCH SITS; SO RADIO CONTACT WAS RE-ESTABLISHED WITH ATC. HOWEVER; THE RANGE WAS LIMITED; SO THERE WERE SOME PERIODS WHEN CONTACT WAS LOST MOMENTARILY. A BATTERY PWRED GPS WAS ALSO ON BOARD FOR SUCH SITS; SO NAV ALONG THE AIRWAYS PROCEEDED WITHOUT DIFFICULTY ONCE THE SIT WAS ASSESSED AND UNDER CTL. ATC CALLED HOUSTON APCH FOR PERMISSION TO ENTER THE MODE C PERIMETER AND CLASS B AIRSPACE WITHOUT A XPONDER AND THE FLT CONTINUED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. AS I APCHED DWH; I HAD BEEN TOLD TO EXPECT RWY 17; SO WAS MOMENTARILY CONFUSED WHEN INSTRUCTED BY THE TWR TO ENTER A DOWNWIND FOR RWY 35. A JET HAD BEEN CLRED FOR TKOF; SO THE TWR CTLR WAS RATHER FIRM IN REITERATING 'TURN S NOW FOR RWY 35;' BUT THE JET HAD JUST STARTED ITS ROLL AND I TURNED TO DOWNWIND WELL BEFORE REACHING THE RWY. I USED TO FLY THIS PLANE AS A RENTAL 6-7 YRS AGO BEFORE THE FBO SOLD IT TO A LCL PLT. I BOUGHT IT SEVERAL MONTHS AGO AND HAD BEEN FLYING IT WITHOUT INCIDENT UNTIL THE WK BEFORE WHEN THE ALTERNATOR NEEDLE STUCK TO THE SIDE OF THE CASE MAKING IT APPEAR THAT THE ALTERNATOR HAD FAILED. IT CHKED OUT OK AND THE LCL MECH WHO HAS FLOWN AND MAINTAINED THE PLANE FOR ABOUT 10 YRS RPTED THAT HE CHANGED THE ALTERNATOR A FEW WKS AGO AND THERE HAD BEEN SOME ONGOING PROBS WITH THE INDICATOR; BUT THE ALTERNATOR AND REGULATOR WORKED FINE. THE REMEDY WAS TO TAP THE CASE WHICH WOULD FREE THE NEEDLE FROM THE SIDE OF THE CASE. ON THIS OCCASION; THE NEEDLE STUCK TO THE SIDE OF THE CASE; BUT CAME FREE WHEN THE INST WAS TAPPED AFTER LEVELING OFF. THE NEEDLE WAS CLOSE TO THE ZERO INDICATION; THEN PWR WAS LOST. THE REMEDY WAS TO REPLACE THE VOLTAGE REGULATOR AT DWH. A VOLTMETER AND IMPROVED AMMETER WILL BE INSTALLED DURING THE NEXT ANNUAL; OR BEFORE. AN EXTERNAL ANTENNA FOR THE BACKUP RADIO WILL ALSO BE INSTALLED.