INCORRECTLY BELIEVING THE TWR TO BE CLOSED; PA32 PLT DEPARTS BCT WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative

I REMOVED MY PLANE FROM ITS HANGAR AT THE BOCA RATON (BCT) ARPT INTENDING TO TAKE THE PLANE FOR A TEST FLT FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE ITS ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS CONDUCTED THIS PAST WK. I DID MY PREFLT CHK AND TURNED ON THE RADIOS THROUGH MY MAIN AVIONICS SWITCH THAT TURNS ALL MY AVIONIC INSTS ON TO THEIR PRESET POS. I DID NOT HEAR ANY TFC. BELIEVING THAT THE ARPT TWR HAD NOT OPENED AND THAT THE ARPT WAS STILL UNCTLED; I LOOKED AT THE WINDSOCK AND OBSERVED THE WIND SLIGHTLY COMING FROM THE SE AND MADE A DETERMINATION THAT THE MOST APPROPRIATE DIRECTION FOR TKOF WOULD BE ON RWY 23. I ANNOUNCED ON 118.425 TO BOCA RATON TFC THAT I WAS FIRST; TAXIING TO THE ACTIVE; I LOOKED IN THE SKY AND SAW NO TFC AND RECEIVED NO RESPONSE FROM TFC BUT REMAINED LISTENING ON THE RADIO AND THEN ANNOUNCED MY DEP ON THE ACTIVE; RWY 23. AFTER TKOF I DID NOT HEAR ANY COMS SO I STARTED ADJUSTING THE AVIONICS AND DISCOVERED THE SQUELCH; VOLUME CTLS AND TOGGLE SWITCHES WERE ALTERED FROM THEIR NORMAL POS; APPARENTLY DONE DURING THE ANNUAL INSPECTION. ONCE I MADE THE ADJUSTMENT; I IMMEDIATELY HEARD THE 'CHATTER' AND CONTACTED THE BOCA RATON TWR. I WAS INFORMED THAT I WAS IN SERIOUS TROUBLE AND IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO THE ARPT; LANDED AND CALLED THE TWR ON MY CELL PHONE. I EXPLAINED WHAT I BELIEVED HAD HAPPENED AND WAS INFORMED THAT THIS INCIDENT WAS GOING TO BE RPTED AND THAT THE 'COMMITTEE' WOULD REVIEW IT TO DETERMINE THE CONSEQUENCES OF MY VIOLATION AND THAT I WOULD RECEIVE FURTHER COM WITHIN 7-10 DAYS. I BELIEVE THAT MY MISTAKE WAS CAUSED BY MY FAILURE TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE AVIONICS SETTINGS HAD BEEN CHANGED FROM THEIR PRE-SET POS CAUSING THE INADVERTENT MISTAKE OF NOT HAVING COMS WITH THE TWR AND SUBSEQUENT DEV FROM THE EXISTING PATTERN AT THE TIME OF TKOF. I AM TRULY SORRY FOR THIS MISTAKE AND HAVE LEARNED A SUBSTANTIAL LESSON REGARDING IMPROVING MY PREFLT CHKS TO INCLUDE ADJUSTMENT OF ALL SWITCHES ON ALL INSTS.