C182 PLT HAD A GENERATOR MALFUNCTION NEAR FFZ.

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AT APPROX XA00 HRS LCL AT 19 MI SE OF FFZ; I NOTICED THAT THE XPONDER LIGHT WAS NO LONGER BLINKING. GETTING NO LIGHT WHEN USING THE TEST FUNCTION; I REALIZED IT WAS INOP. AT 10 MI FROM FFZ (PER MY HANDHELD GPS) I MADE THE INITIAL CALL TO FALCON TWR. WHEN ASKED TO IDENT; MY RESPONSE WAS THAT THE XPONDER HAD JUST STOPPED WORKING. THE CTLR TOLD ME TO ENTER A R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 4. HE ALSO COMMENTED ON THE POOR QUALITY OF THE RADIO XMISSION. SINCE THE RADIO HAS ALWAYS BEEN VERY CLR I SUSPECTED I MIGHT BE HAVING ELECTRICAL OR RADIO PROBS SO I TURNED ON MY HANDHELD RADIO AND SET THE TWR FREQ. WHEN DEPARTING FFZ A FEW MINS LATER I REQUESTED A NE DEP AND WAS CLRED FOR A STRAIGHT OUT DEP. AFTER LIFTOFF; THE RADIO DISPLAYS WENT DARK. IT WAS A TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE. AT 2.7 MI (PER THE HANDHELD GPS) THE TWR SAID TO IDENT AND I RESPONDED THAT THE XPONDER HAD STOPPED WORKING A FEW MINS AGO. HIS RESPONSE WAS 'FREQ CHANGED APPROVED; I'M TIRED OF TALKING TO YOU.' IT WASN'T TILL LATER THAT I REALIZED HE WASN'T JUST BEING RUDE; HE THOUGHT I WAS LYING ABOUT THE XPONDER. AT 4.5 MI I TURNED TO A NW HEADING AND DEPARTED THE AREA. THE AMMETER NEVER DID SHOW A DISCHARGE. I TELL MY STUDENTS TO CONFESS PROBS TO ATC WITHOUT FAIL; YET I DID NOT. EVEN THOUGH THERE NEVER WAS AN AMMETER INDICATION HINTING OF ELECTRICAL PROBS; I SUSPECTED IT AND SHOULD HAVE INFORMED FALCON ATC OF THOSE SUSPICIONS. BY DOING SO; THE CTLR COULD HAVE BEEN OF ASSISTANCE. THE FLT TO DVT WAS UNEVENTFUL AND THE RTE TAKEN WAS WELL CLR; BUT UNDER CLASS B AIRSPACE. THE LESSON TO BE LEARNED HERE; IS THAT ATC IS THERE TO CTL AS WELL AS TO ASSIST. RELATIVELY HIGH TIME PLTS NEED TO BE REMINDED THAT CONFESSION; IN LIKE CIRCUMSTANCES; IS THE CORRECT THING TO DO.