VFR PA23 ON VECTORS FOR PRACTICE APCH TO PIE EXPERIENCES NORAD.

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THE FLT; AN IFR TRAINING FLT; TO PIE. INBOUND CLASS B (AT NIGHT) THE ALT WAS GIVEN -- DSND FROM 6000-5000 FT. I DID; CONTINUED CRUISE. THEN 5000-3000 FT. I DID; CONTINUED CRUISE INBOUND. REQUEST FOR VOR RWY 35R APCH. REQUEST GRANTED. RADIOS GOT QUIET. AFTER CRUISING ABOUT 5+ MI; GOING OUT OVER THE WATER/OCEAN; I CONTINUED TO XMIT. NOTHING IN RETURN. AFTER; VOLUMES; PLUGS; EVERYTHING TO CHK. TROUBLESHOOTING WAS ACCOMPLISHED. I CHOSE TO SQUAWK 7600 TO MAKE ATC AWARE OF THE FAILURE; THEREBY KEEPING OTHER ACFT AND MYSELF SAFE. I BEGAN (HOLDING/CIRCLING) UNDER THE FLOOR OF CLASS B AIRSPACE; JUST OFF SHORE PIE. DURING HOLD; SEVERAL FREQS WERE TRIED. 121.5 WAS LAST RESORT. DURING HOLD; RECEIVED AND XMITTED TO 133.30; TPA APCH. TOLD THEM OF MY SIT/LOCATION. THIS TOLD ME MY RADIOS STILL WORKED. I CONTINUED ATTEMPT TO CONTACT PIE. SWITCH BACK TO TPA APCH ON 133.30. TOLD THEM THAT I WAS GOING TO CLB TO 4000 FT MSL (STILL UNDER CLASS B/OUT OF CLASS B) TO ATTEMPT BETTER RECEPTION. AT 4000 FT MSL AND HOLDING; POSITIVELY RECEIVED AND XMITTED TO PIE ON 118.30. I RECEIVED AUTH TO LAND RWY 35R. ONLY ONCE WAS I NEAR CLASS B DURING RADIO FAILURE. I WAS AT 3000 FT MSL; AND AFTER ATTEMPTING COMS AND SQUAWK 7600. I WENT IN CLOSER TO THE ARPT TO GET LIGHT GUN SIGNALS. DID NOT SEE/RECEIVE LIGHT GUN SIGNALS. QUICKLY LEFT THE AREA. NOTE -- DURING THIS TIME; I ONLY WENT IN APPROX 1-2 MI INLAND. APPROX 5-6 MI AWAY FROM ARPT. I THEN RETURNED TO AREA OVER WATER; WHERE I RESUMED. I THEN GOT COMS WITH TPA APCH. UPON LNDG -- I WAS TOLD TO CONTACT TWR SUPVR. HE DIRECTED THAT I SHOULD HAVE LANDED; AND ASKED WHY I DID NOT. I TOLD HIM I HAD (STILL) COMS; ALTHOUGH NOT WITH HIM. I DECIDED TO TROUBLESHOOT AND ATTEMPT SAFE COMS RATHER THAN POSSIBLY CAUSE UNDUE HARM. PIE HAS LARGE CARRIERS AND SMALL. FOR A WELL BUILT UP CITY WITH LIGHTS AT NIGHT; IT MIGHT BE DIFFICULT FOR A LARGE CARRIER TO SEE A SMALL AZTEC. I DECIDED THAT DUE TO SAFETY OF FLT; IT IS BEST TO SQUAWK 7600 SO ATC HAD THE BIG PICTURE TO KEEP US ALL SAFE; IT SEEMED THE BEST CHOICE IN VMC CONDITIONS WITH PARTIAL RADIOS TO CLB (WHILE KEEPING OUT OF CLASS B) TO RECEIVE RADIOS BETTER. UPON REACHING 4000 FT MSL; I WAS CORRECT. PIE RECEIVED XMISSION; AND WE WERE ABLE TO SAFELY LAND.