PA28 PLT INADVERTENTLY ENTERS TFR DURING FLT TO SMQ.

Narrative

ON DEC/MON/03; A 30 NM TFR WENT INTO EFFECT STARTING AT XJ00 TO XK30; CTRED AT EWR ARPT; NJ. THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF THE TFR JUST INCLUDED SOMERSET ARPT; NJ (SMQ). I BRIEFED WITH FSS AT XA00 FOR AN XB00 FLT VFR FROM SMQ TO MJX (TOMS RIVER; NJ). I DID RECEIVE NOTIFICATION OF THE IMPENDING TFR FROM FSS; AND WAS AWARE THE TFR WOULD BEGIN AT XJ00. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLT WAS FOR A CONTINUATION OF AVIONICS GPS SYS REPAIR. IT WAS A TROUBLESOME INSTALLATION AND I HAD BEEN BACK SEVERAL TIMES FOR CORRECTIVE REPAIRS. I DEPARTED MJX FOR RETURN TO SMQ AT AROUND XF00; ARRIVING AT SMQ AROUND XG00. I HAD LUNCH; ATTENDED TO SOME BUSINESS AND DECIDED TO CONDUCT ADDITIONAL FLT TESTS OF THE TROUBLESOME GPS INSTALLATION. I CONDUCTED FLT TESTS IN THE LCL AREA; FLEW TO NEARBY N40 (SKY MANOR) FOR (REDUCED PRICE) FUEL; SPENT CONSIDERABLE TIME ON THE GND THERE; FAMILIARIZING; EVALUATING; AND TESTING CTLS AND OUTPUTS OF THE AVIONICS INSTALLATION. I DEPARTED N40 CONDUCTING ADDITIONAL FLT TESTS; WHILE AVOIDING SOME ISOLATED VERY LCL SNOW SHOWERS; AND EVENTUALLY RETURNED TO SMQ; LNDG AT AROUND XJ30. I WAS SO INVOLVED AND FOCUSED ON THE AVIONICS TESTING AND SOME LCL WX; THAT I HAD JUST COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN ABOUT THE XJ00 START TIME FOR THE TFR. THE MAIN DISTR WAS THE FOCUS ON AVIONICS TESTS. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE DISTR FROM SOME LCL WX PHENOMENA; AND IN THE BACKGND SOME DISTRACTING BUSINESS ISSUES. NEXT TIME; THE LESSON IS: BRIEF BEFORE EVERY FLT -- EVEN SHORT ONES; AND FOR THE FUTURE; BE MORE ACUTELY AWARE OF THE INSIDIOUS PWR OF DISTRS.