PA32 PLT HAS A TRACK AND HDG DEV DURING DEP FROM ALS.

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THERE WAS LITTLE MOON ON THIS NIGHT FLT. THE SID CALLS FOR A L TURN OFF RWY 20; DIRECT ALS WITH A CLB IN A HOLD AT ALS. VISIBILITY WAS GOOD; BUT WITH VERY LITTLE DEVELOPMENT ON THE GND; THERE WAS NO RELIABLE VISUAL HORIZON AT NIGHT; SO I WAS PRETTY MUCH ON THE INSTS AFTER WE DEPARTED VFR. AS WE CLBED IN THE HOLD; I CONTACTED ZDV TO OBTAIN OUR IFR CLRNC. AT ABOUT THAT TIME THE LAPTOP BASED GPS MOVING MAP WENT OUT. THIS HAS NOT HAPPENED BEFORE. I HAD COMPLETE PAPER BACKUP FOR THE FLT; INCLUDING MAPS; PLATES; AND A PRINTED FLT PLAN. I PROCEEDED TO CLB IN THE HOLD WHILE MY SON WORKED ON GETTING THE MOVING MAP UP AND RUNNING. ATC CLRED US TO 14000 FT; THE MEA ON V83. ONCE AT 14000 FT; WE WERE CLRED ON COURSE. WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO RPT 10 E ON V83. AS WE REACHED 14000 FT; I TURNED THE COURSE LINE ON THE HSI FROM 301 DEGS; THE INBOUND COURSE FOR THE HOLD; TO AN INCORRECT HDG. INSTEAD OF 61 DEGS; I SET 241 DEGS; THE EXACT OPPOSITE. I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS HAPPENED; AS I HAVE USED AN HSI FOR INST FLT FOR YRS. WE THEN PROCEEDED ON THE REVERSED COURSE TO THE ASSIGNED ALT OF 14000 FT. WE RPTED 10 E; THOUGH WE WERE ACTUALLY 10 W. OVER THE NEXT FEW MINS THE MOVING MAP CAME BACK ONLINE. WE WERE SHOWN PRECISELY ON A VICTOR AIRWAY; THOUGH I NOW KNOW IT WAS NOT V83; IT WAS V210. AS SOON AS THE MAP CAME UP; WE SELECTED THE TERRAIN WARNING FUNCTION. THIS CAUSES THE MAP TO GO BLANK FOR A FEW MOMENTS WHILE THE IMAGE IS CREATED. SOON THEREAFTER THE TERRAIN CAME UP. WHILE THERE WAS NO IMMEDIATE CONFLICT SHOWING; THE TERRAIN DID NOT APPEAR IN THE LOCATIONS WHERE I EXPECTED IT AND I WAS BEGINNING TO WONDER IF WE WERE OFF COURSE. RIGHT ABOUT THEN ATC CONTACTED US TO VERIFY POS; SAYING HE HAD A SINGLE RADAR HIT SHOWING US OFF COURSE. WITH THAT REQUEST I REGAINED SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND KNEW WE WERE SERIOUSLY OFF COURSE. ATC GAVE US A CLB AND THEN A TURN AND WE WERE BACK ON COURSE. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL EXCEPT FOR SOME UP AND DOWNDRAFTS. I; HOWEVER; WAS LEFT SERIOUSLY SHAKEN BY THE EVENT. I TAKE PRIDE IN THE PROFESSIONALISM I BRING TO FLYING. WHILE I DON'T FLY FOR A LIVING; I LIKE TO THINK THAT I FLY AT LEVEL THAT IS CONSISTENT WITH SOMEONE WHO DOES. I PARTICIPATE IN TRAINING EVERY YEAR. I TAKE AN IPC RIDE EVERY 6 MONTHS; WHETHER OR NOT I NEED IT. HOW I COULD HAVE BECOME SO DISORIENTED IN THE VICINITY OF TERRAIN IS DISTURBING. NIGHT FLT WAS A FACTOR. THE DISTR OF THE FAILED MOVING MAP AND HELPING MY SON GET IT BACK ON LINE WAS CERTAINLY A FACTOR. ALSO A FACTOR WAS THAT I WAS HAND FLYING; BECAUSE OF THE TURB. IT DIDN'T HELP THAT I WAS RECEIVING AND READING BACK THE CLRNC RIGHT ABOUT THE TIME ALL OF THIS WAS GOING ON. I'D LIKE TO THINK I WOULD HAVE FIGURED OUT THE PROB BEFORE THE SITUATION BECAME TRULY LIFE THREATENING; BUT WHO KNOWS. I AM THANKFUL ATC WAS ON THE BALL AND FOLLOWED UP ON THAT LONE RADAR HIT.