NMAC BTWN A C172 AND A PA28 ON THE ENTRY LEG FOR RWY 25 AT 47N; NJ.

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I WAS ENRTE TO 47N FROM THE NW (ANNOUNCED 5 MI OUT). OVERFLEW TO THE FIELD AT 2000 FT MSL (ANNOUNCED) AND BEGAN A DSCNT TO PATTERN ALT. ABOUT 3 NM PAST THE FIELD; I MADE A 230 DEG TURN TO THE R FOR THE 45 DEG ENTRY TO THE L DOWNWIND AT MIDFIELD OF RWY 25 (ANNOUNCED) AND HEARD A STATIC RADIO CALL FROM A PIPER (MOSTLY ILLEGIBLE). I CONTINUED ON MY 45 DEG ENTRY AND HEARD ANOTHER STATIC CALL FROM THE PIPER (THE ARPT NAME WAS REVERSED -- INSTEAD OF CENTRAL JERSEY TFC; THE PLT STATED JERSEY CENTRAL REGIONAL TFC). AT THIS TIME I THOUGHT ABOUT ASKING THE PIPER FOR A POS RPT; BUT FOR SOME REASON I DIDN'T. I BEGAN A GENTLE DSNDING R TURN ONTO L DOWNWIND AT AROUND 1300 FT MSL AND 85 KIAS AND SUDDENLY NOTICED THE PIPER PASS TO THE L AND BELOW ME BY ABOUT 100 FT AND 200 FT RESPECTIVELY. I IMMEDIATELY LEVELED; PULLED THE THROTTLE TO IDLE; AND EXTENDED FULL FLAPS TO SLOW DOWN. THEN; ONCE THE PIPER WAS AHEAD OF ME; I DSNDED TO 1100 FT MSL AND ORIENTED MYSELF AS #2 ON THE DOWNWIND (ANNOUNCED). THERE WERE OBVIOUSLY SEVERAL MISTAKES I MADE. I SHOULD HAVE DSNDED TO 1100 FT MSL (PATTERN ALT) BEFORE TURNING ONTO THE 45 DEG FOR THE DOWNWIND. I SHOULD HAVE ASKED FOR A POS RPT FROM THE PIPER. AND I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE ATTENTIVE AND SEEN THE OTHER ACFT (MOST LIKELY WOULD HAVE IF I WERE AT THE RIGHT ALT). I WILL MOST DEFINITELY DSND TO PATTERN ALT BEFORE DOING ANYTHING PATTERN RELATED; ASK VERIFICATION IF I DON'T UNDERSTAND A RADIO CALL; AND WILL BE MUCH MORE ATTENTIVE IN THE FUTURE. ALSO; IN HINDSIGHT; THE PIPER SHOULD HAVE CLRLY SEEN ME; AS I WAS 200 FT ABOVE HIM AND TO THE R AND ANNOUNCED ALL MY INTENTIONS WHEN HE WAS ON THE DOWNWIND.