A PA28 PLT ON A NIGHTTIME VFR FLT EXPERIENCED IMC AND ATTEMPTED TO GET IFR CLRNC. AN ACR PLT FINALLY RELAYED A CLRNC AFTER ATTEMPTS ON FSS AND 121 PT 5 FAILED TO MAKE ATC CONTACT.

Narrative

CRUISING VFR/VMC. FORECAST INDICATED CLR UNTIL GEORGIA; THENCE 6000 FT CEILING. I KNEW THAT ONCE IN GEORGIA I COULD DSND SAFELY. UNFORTUNATELY; PRIOR TO THAT; WHERE I NEEDED 6000 FT AGL FOR TERRAIN CLRNC; I CLIPPED CLOUDS AT 6500 FT. DSNDED TO 6000 FT; TRYING TO RAISE ATC OR FSS TO AIR FILE IFR. NOTE THAT I GOT IFR CURRENT IN PREPARATION FOR THIS TRIP AND MADE USE OF IT IN NEW ENGLAND. I TRIED APPROX 6 FREQS; BUT COULD NOT MAKE SOLID CONTACT WITH ANYONE. WENT INTO CLOUDS AT 6000 FT. EXECUTED CLASSIC STANDARD RATE TURN 180 DEGS. AFTER RETRACING APPROX 10 MI; MORE CLOUDS. I WAS OVER LARGE; BRIGHT CITY LIGHTING CLOUDS SO I COULD REMAIN CLR. IDIOT FSS GAVE ME USELESS ATC FREQ; DESPITE MY PROVIDING EXACT LOCATION OF VOR AND ALT. ANOTHER FSS IGNORED MY REQUEST; 'I NEED AN ATC FREQ THAT CAN GIVE ME IFR NOW!' DSNDING COULD GET ME KILLED. STAYING IN CLOUDS AT 6000 FT NOT GOOD. I CALLED ON 121.5; 'ANY ATC FACILITY; I'M 14 MI ON THE ABC VOR RADIAL AT 6000 FT AND NEED AN INST CLRNC NOW!' AN ACR FLT RELAYED ATC INSTRUCTIONS THAT GOT ME AN ENRTE FAST. FACTORS: I DIDN'T KNOW HOW LOW I COULD GET. POOR RADIO COVERAGE AND NO ATC FREQS ON IFR ENRTE CHART THAT WORKED. POORLY TRAINED FSS ON SHIFT.