A J3 CUB PLT AT CKB ARPT WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT TWR FOR TKOF ON A HANDHELD RADIO AND ASKS A MOONEY PLT TO RELAY. THE MOONEY PLT ERRONEOUSLY TELLS THE J3 PLT HE WAS CLRED FOR TKOF.

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I HAVE A 1946 PIPER J3 CUB WITH A HAND HELD RADIO. I TAXIED TO THE END OF RWY 3 FOR TKOF WHICH IS LOCATED ABOUT 1 MI FROM THE TWR. I CALLED 'READY FOR TKOF' ON TWR FREQ 126.7 AND THE TWR'S REPLY WAS UNREADABLE. THERE WAS A MOONEY BEHIND ME ON THE TXWY RUNNING UP. I SWITCHED TO GND FREQ 121.9 AND ASKED THE MOONEY PLT TO RELAY TO THE TWR THAT I WAS READY FOR TKOF. THE MOONEY PLT ANSWERED; 'THE TWR SAID YOU'RE READY TO GO.' I THEN ASKED THE MOONEY PLT 'DOES THAT MEAN I'M CLRED FOR TKOF?' THE MOONEY PLT ANSWERED 'YES; YOU ARE CLRED FOR TKOF.' I THEN SWITCHED FREQ BACK TO 126.7; CHKED FOR TFC VISUALLY; AND TOOK OFF. ON CLBOUT; I CALLED THE TWR CTLR (FLYING CLOSER TO THE TWR) THINKING EVERYTHING WAS OK AND SAID 'CLARKSBURG TWR YOU CAN PROBABLY HEAR ME BETTER NOW; I AM REQUESTING A L DOWNWIND DEP.' THE TWR CTLR ANSWERED 'CUB XYZ; YOU CAN PROCEED WITH A L DOWNWIND DEP; AND BE ADVISED THAT YOU JUST TOOK OFF WITHOUT A CLRNC.' SHOCKED; I IMMEDIATELY ANSWERED 'THE MOONEY RELAYED TO ME THAT I WAS CLRED FOR TKOF.' THE TWR CTLR ANSWERED 'NO; I WAS TRYING TO ESTABLISH 2-WAY COM AND I HAD NOT DONE THAT.' I THEN APOLOGIZED FOR THE TKOF AND TOLD HIM THAT I REALLY THOUGHT I HAD BEEN CLRED FOR TKOF THROUGH THE RELAY. HE ACKNOWLEDGED. WHEN I ASKED FOR A FREQ CHANGE I AGAIN APOLOGIZED FOR THE 'MISCOM.' HE ACKNOWLEDGED IT. END OF INCIDENT. AT NO TIME WERE THERE ANY TFC CONFLICTS THAT HE MADE ME AWARE OF. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) USE OF HANDHELD RADIO IN A NO ELECTRIC J3 CUB AT A TWRED ARPT; 2) THE RADIO WOULDN'T WORK WELL AT THE TKOF END OF RWY 3; 3) ASKING ANOTHER PLT TO RELAY COMS (THIS HAS ALWAYS WORKED WELL FOR 20 YRS). 4) BELIEVING THE OTHER PLT WHEN HE RELAYED TO ME FROM THE TWR THAT I WAS 'CLRED FOR TKOF' USING THOSE EXACT WORDS. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS IN THE FUTURE TO AVOID THIS INCIDENT AGAIN: 1) TAXI ONLY TO AN INTXN SHORT OF THE END OF RWY 3 WHERE 2-WAY COMS WITH A HANDHELD RADIO ARE GUARANTEED. THEN WHEN CLRED FOR TKOF BY THE TWR ONLY REQUEST TO BACK TAXI TO THE END OR TAKE OFF AT THE INTXN; 2) ONLY TAKE OFF IF THE WORDS 'CLRED FOR TKOF' COMES FROM THE TWR. I WILL NOT ACCEPT ANY MORE RELAY COMS. IF I CAN'T COMMUNICATE WITH THE TWR AND I'M BLOCKED ON THE END OF THE RWY; THEN I'LL WAIT FOR A LIGHT SIGNAL FOR BACK TAXI TO RAMP OR TAKE OFF.