A C172 CONTRACTED SVC PLT WAS QUESTIONED BY 2 DIFFERENT PCT CTLRS AS HE APCHED HEF.

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IN PREPARATION FOR THE FLT I REVIEWED THE NE REGION ARPT AND FACILITY DIRECTORY; CHKED ONLINE AND TELEVISED WX RPTS; CHKED NOTAMS THROUGH THE FAA WEBSITE; AND I CONTACTED LEESBURG FSS. I FILED A VFR SECURITY/ADIZ FLT PLAN WITH LEESBURG FSS FOR A GOV CONTACT FLT DIRECT TO HEF (30 MIN DURATION). I ALSO RECEIVED WX AND NOTAM ADVISORIES FROM LEESBURG FSS. THERE HAD BEEN RECENT CREW RPTS THAT THE XPONDER WAS OPERATING INTERMITTENTLY BUT THE MOST RECENT RPTS INDICATED IT WAS OPERATING FINE. I CONDUCTED A THOROUGH PREFLT INSPECTION PAYING PARTICULAR ATTN TO THE XPONDER. SPECIFICALLY; I CHKED THAT THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS WERE 'IN;' THAT THE XPONDER WAS IN 'STANDBY' PRIOR TO TAXIING; THAT THE 'REPLY LAMP' ILLUMINATED WHEN THE FUNCTION SWITCH WAS TURNED TO THE 'TEST' POS. PRIOR TO TAKING THE RECOMMENDED RWY (RWY 6) AT EZF I TURNED THE FUNCTION SWITCH TO THE 'ALT' POS AND NOTED THAT THE 'REPLY LAMP' ILLUMINATED A COUPLE OF TIMES AS IF THE XPONDER WERE BEING INTERROGATED. I DEPARTED EZF ENRTE BRV AND BEGAN A CLB TO 3000 FT MSL. APPROX 3 MI SW OF BRV; AT 3000 FT MSL; I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT POTOMAC APCH FOR THE FIRST TIME; BUT I WAS UNABLE AND RADIOED THEM A SECOND TIME WHEN I WAS APPROX 2 MI S OF BRV; STILL AT 3000 FT MSL. THIS TIME I MADE CONTACT AND REQUESTED CLRNC FROM BRV DIRECT TO HEF. THE CTLR PROVIDED ME WITH A DISCRETE XPONDER CODE. I EXECUTED A COUPLE OF 360 DEG TURNS TO THE R WHILE THE CTLR ATTEMPTED TO MAKE RADAR CONTACT WITH ME. THE CTLR ASKED ME TO RESET THE XPONDER AND AT ONE POINT ASK ME TO 'IDENT.' I COMPLIED WITH THE CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS. THE CTLR THEN TOLD ME TO CONTINUE TO SQUAWK ASSIGNED CODE; PROCEED DIRECT TO HEF; STAYING ABOVE 3000 FT UNTIL I WAS CLR TO THE N OF THE RESTR AREA (R-6608). I CONTINUED TO SQUAWK; MAINTAIN A NORTHERLY HEADING TOWARDS HEF; AT BTWN 3100 FT AND 3250 FT MSL. APPROX 6 NM FROM BRV ON APPROX THE 010 DEG RADIAL I HEARD AN AIR DEFENSE CTLR ON 121.5 ANNOUNCE THAT AN ACFT AT MY APPROX LOCATION WAS ABOUT TO ENTER THE ADIZ AND RECOMMENDED THAT THE ACFT DEPART IMMEDIATELY. I REPLIED TO THE CTLR ON 121.5 THAT I THOUGHT I WAS THE ACFT HE WAS TRACKING AND THAT I WAS IN CONTACT WITH POTOMAC APCH AND SQUAWKING THE ASSIGNED CODE. I RECEIVED NO REPLY FROM THE CTLR BUT DID HEAR ANOTHER RADIO CALL THAT SAID; 'DON'T GO IN THERE!' NOT RECEIVING A REPLY I EXECUTED A 180 DEG TURN TO THE R IN ORDER TO STAY CLR OF THE ADIZ UNTIL THE SIT COULD BE RESOLVED. ONCE HEADED S I CONTACTED POTOMAC APCH AND INFORMED THE APCH CTLR THAT I THOUGHT THE AIR DEFENSE CTLRS WANTED ME TO STAY OUT OF THE ADIZ. AFTER SOME ADDITIONAL RADIO TFC THE APCH CTLR STATED THAT SHE WAS IN CONTACT WITH THE AIR DEFENSE CTLR AND THAT I COULD ONCE AGAIN PROCEED DIRECT TO HEF; ABOVE 3000 FT WHILE SQUAWKING ASSIGNED CODE. WITH THE APCH CTLR'S CLRNC TO PROCEED TO HEF I AGAIN TURNED TO A NORTHERLY HEADING. ABOUT 5 NM SSW OF NYG I AGAIN HEARD THE AIR DEFENSE CTLR PROVIDE A WARNING OF AN UNAUTH ACFT PENETRATING THE ADIZ AT MY APPROX LOCATION. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED S AGAIN AND CONTACTED POTOMAC APCH. AFTER SOME ADDITIONAL RADIO TFC THE APCH CTLR ONCE AGAIN SAID THAT SHE HAD TALKED WITH THE AIR DEFENSE CTLR AND THAT I WAS CLR DIRECT TO HEF AS BEFORE. I TRANSITIONED AND EXITED R-6608 WITHOUT INCIDENT. AS I EXITED R-6608 AT APPROX 17 NM OFF THE 355 DEG RADIAL FROM BRV THE CTLR ASKED THAT I START MY DSCNT; PROVIDED ME TFC; AND HANDED ME OFF TO HEF TWR. I STARTED MY DSCNT; OBSERVED AND RPTED THE TFC; AND CONTACTED HEF TWR. THE REST OF THE FLT TO HEF WAS UNREMARKABLE. THE ACFT UNDERWENT THE DESIRED PITOT-STAIC SYS CHK AND THE TECHNICIAN CHKED THE XPONDER BASED ON MY COMMENTS AND COMMENTS HE'D RECEIVED IN A PHONE CALL. THE TECHNICIAN SAID THAT THE XPONDER CHKED FINE AND WAS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. MAINT WAS COMPLETE AND I WAS INFORMED THAT THE XPONDER WAS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. I CONTACTED FSS; FILED AN ADIZ FLT PLAN AND RECEIVED WX AND NOTAMS. I PERFORMED A COMPLETE PREFLT INSPECTION PAYING SPECIAL ATTN TO THE XPONDER. ONCE AGAIN THE XPONDER APPEARED TO OPERATE PROPERLY;THE 'REPLY LAMP' ILLUMINATED WHEN TESTED AND WHEN INTERROGATED. I WAS GIVEN A DISCRETE CODE TO CSN. I WAS TO CONTACT DEP CTL ON 120.82. AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL TKOF AND HDOF I CONTACTED DEP CTL. DEP COULD NOT IDENT MY RETURN AND ASKED THAT I RECYCLE THE XPONDER. I RECYCLED THE XPONDER AND NOTED THAT THE 'REPLY LAMP' WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE WHEN TESTED AND WAS NOT ILLUMINATING AT ALL. DEP CTL DIRECTED ME TO EXIT THE ADIZ BY THE MOST DIRECT RTE. I COMPLIED WITH THE CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS; DEPARTED THE ADIZ AND RETURNED THE ACFT TO EZF.