C152 INBOUND TO SRQ EXPERIENCED RADIO LOSS WITH TPA TRACON AFTER RECEIVING BEACON CODE ASSIGNMENT.

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W OF WAUCHULA; FL; AT 2000 FT MSL; I CONTACTED TPA APCH ON 119.65 AT 19 DME WHILE TRACKING THE 085 DEG RADIAL (HDG 265 DEGS) TO THE SRQ VORTAC. PROC CALLS FOR CONTACTING APCH WITHIN 20 NM OF CLASS C AIRSPACE. THE CONVERSATION WAS APPROX AS FOLLOWS: PLT: TAMPA APCH CESSNA NXXXXX 20 MI E OF SRQ WITH ATIS INFO LNDG SRQ. AFTER DEALING WITH OTHER CALLS ATC CAME BACK WITH 'ACFT CALLING SAY AGAIN.' I REPEATED THE INITIAL XMISSION. ATC: CESSNA NXXXXX SQUAWK 1234 AND EXPECT VECTORS TO RWY 14. PLT: 1234 AND VECTORS TO RWY 4 (MISHEARD RWY). ATC: THAT'S RWY 14. PLT: OK RWY 14 FOR CESSNA NXXXXX. ATC: NXXXXX SAY TYPE CESSNA. PLT: 152. TURNED OUT TO BE MY ONLY CONVERSATION WITH ATC. CONCERNED I HAD NOT HEARD MY N-NUMBER AT 3 MI FROM SRQ; I CALLED TO ASK WHEN I MIGHT EXPECT VECTORS. NO RESPONSE. ON REACHING THE GULF COAST OF LONGBOAT KEY; I TRIED AGAIN SEVERAL TIMES. NO RESPONSE. ALL THIS TIME THE FREQ WAS VERY BUSY. NOW I WAS HEADING OUT INTO THE GULF OF MEXICO AND SUSPECTING A BAD MIKE/XMITTER (BUT CURIOUSLY; HAD STILL HAD NOT HEARD MY N-NUMBER). I DECIDED TO DSND TO 1100 FT TO GET BELOW THE CLASS C AIRSPACE (I WAS BEYOND 5 MI DME) AND SQUAWKED VFR 1200. EVENTUALLY; I DECIDED TO RETURN TO VENICE FLYING BELOW 1200 FT AND ON CALLING VENICE FOR A RWY ADVISORY RECEIVED A XMISSION FROM THEM LOUD AND CLR; WHICH RESOLVED THE MILE ISSUE UNLESS THERE WAS AN INTERMITTENT PROB. NOT ONCE AFTER THE INITIAL CONTACT 20 MI OUT; DID I HEAR MY N-NUMBER. I COULD HEAR CLRLY ALL XMISSIONS FROM ATC TO OTHER ACFT. I THINK THE CTLR FORGOT ABOUT ME WITH THE HVY WORKLOAD.