C172 PLT RPTED FREQ CONGESTION AT CDW.

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APCHING CDW; I CALLED TWR ABOUT 10 NM OUT WITH NO RESPONSE. RADIO TFC WAS VERY HVY BTWN TWR AND SEVERAL ACFT. I MADE SECOND CALL; WAS ACKNOWLEDGED; AND INSTRUCTED TO RPT '2 MI R BASE FOR RWY 22.' INSTRUCTION WAS ACKNOWLEDGED; AND I SET UP FOR A R BASE PATTERN ENTRY. I CALLED TWR ABOUT 2 MI OUT; AND GOT NO RESPONSE. FREQ WAS ACTIVE. MADE SECOND CALL; NO RESPONSE. COULD NOT BREAK INTO FREQ UNTIL I WAS ABOUT 1/2 MI FROM BASE-TO-FINAL TURN POINT. TWR RESPONDED AND TOLD ME TO 'MAINTAIN HDG AND CLB NOW.' WHILE I WAS CLBING; CTLR INFORMED ME I SHOULD HAVE CALLED WHILE ON BASE LEG. I REPLIED THAT I HAD TRIED TWICE AND COULD NOT GET A CLR FREQ UNTIL I MADE THE LAST CALL AND GOT THE CLB INSTRUCTION. WHILE CLBING; THE CTLR INSTRUCTED ME TO MAKE A L TURN AND RPT 'FINAL' FOR RWY 22; WHICH I ACKNOWLEDGED. AT THIS POINT; THE CTLR NOTIFIED ALL PLTS TO CLR THE FREQ; 'TAKE 3 DEEP BREATHS;' AS THERE WERE MANY ACFT AROUND AND COMMUNICATORS WERE TALKING OVER EACH OTHER. WHEN HE FINISHED; I RPTED REACHING FINAL; WAS CLRED TO LAND; AND LANDED. WHILE TAXIING; I WAS INSTRUCTED TO CALL THE TWR. UPON CALLING; THE CTLR SAID CDW WAS NORMALLY A BUSY ARPT; BUT TODAY 'IT WAS CRAZY.' HE INFORMED ME I SHOULD HAVE ENTERED THE PATTERN ON A 'DOWNWIND LEG.' I REPLIED THAT HE INSTRUCTED ME TO ENTER '2 MI R BASE.' THE CONVERSATION WAS CORDIAL. WE BOTH ACKNOWLEDGED THE BUSY ARPT AND OVERLOADED TWR FREQ. I FEEL THE PROB AT THE ARPT WAS DRIVEN BY PLTS NOT WAITING FOR A TWR/ACFT EXCHANGE TO BE COMPLETED BEFORE BROADCASTING. AS I WAS GIVEN A PATTERN RPT POINT; I ANTICIPATED THE CTLR VISUALLY FOLLOWING ME TO LAND. PERHAPS HE WAS TRYING TO CONTACT ME ALSO. I COULD NOT HEAR A CALL FROM HIM; NOR DID HE HEAR MINE. I APPRECIATE THE CTLR'S EFFORTS TO MANAGE THE FREQ AND ARPT TFC. I SENSED HE FELT I HAD CAUSED A PROB WHEN I WAS ONLY FOLLOWING THE INSTRUCTIONS I RECEIVED FROM HIM UP TO THE POINT WHERE NEITHER OF US COULD COMPLETE AN EXCHANGE.