NON INSTRUMENT RATED COMMERCIAL PLT WITH RADIO PROBLEMS FLIES INTO DETERIORATING VISIBILITY CONDITIONS ON NIGHT FLT INTO OAK. DIVERTS AND LANDS WRONG DIRECTION AT ANOTHER ARPT.

Narrative

I WAS FLYING FROM UKIAH TO OAKLAND AFTER DARK. THE WX AT UKIAH WAS NEARLY CLR; JUST A FEW CLOUDS WITH A CEILING OF 4000 FT. THE FORECAST FOR MY ARR AT OAKLAND WAS 5000 FT SCATTERED. I WAS FLYING AT 3500 FT. THE FIRST PROB WAS A RADIO THAT WOULDN'T WORK; I HAD TO PUSH THE 'TEST' BUTTON TO HEAR ANY XMISSIONS. IT SEEMED THAT THE SQUELCH WAS OVERPOWERING AND I COULDN'T ADJUST IT. MAYBE IT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE WITH A SMALL SCREWDRIVER IF I'D HAD ONE. I TRIED; BUT WAS UNABLE TO CHK IN WITH ZOA FOR FLT FOLLOWING UNDER THOSE CONDITIONS. SECONDLY; S OF SANTA ROSA THE CEILING STARTED LOWERING INSTEAD OF RISING. I WAS FINDING MYSELF IN AND OUT OF CLOUD BASES AND WHEN I WAS FINALLY DOWN TO 2000 FT AND HEARD THE ATIS AT OAKLAND RPTING 1300 FT FEW; 2600 FT OVCST AND KNOWING I DIDN'T HAVE A WAY TO OPERATE IN CLASS C EASILY I DECIDED TO LOOK FOR OTHER OPTIONS. I NOTICED FOG FORMING OVER SAN PABLO BAY (UNFORECAST) AND KNOWING THAT IT CAN FORM RAPIDLY UNDER THE RIGHT CONDITIONS; I STARTED FEELING AN URGENCY TO GET ON THE GND. THE DARK NIGHT; OCCASIONAL FLT INTO LOWERING CLOUD BASES; GND FOG FORMATION; AND AN INOP RADIO WAS INCREASING MY ANXIETY LEVEL RAPIDLY. ZZZ WAS JUST BEHIND AND TO MY L; SO I DECIDED TO TRY AND GET IN WITH MY HANDHELD. I MANAGED WITH SOME DIFFICULTY IN THE DARK TO GET THE HANDHELD SET UP; BUT BY THE TIME I WAS READY TO XMIT; IT'S POSSIBLE I WAS ALREADY IN THE CLASS D AIRSPACE. THE TWR ASKED ME TO RPT A R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 6; BUT IN MY ANXIOUS STATE; I LINED UP FOR THE OPPOSITE END; RWY 24. MY HANDHELD HAS A WEAKNESS IN THAT THERE IS NO WAY TO LOCK IN THE FREQ. IT GOT BUMPED OFF THE FREQ SO I DIDN'T HEAR THE TWR TELLING ME I WAS HEADING FOR THE WRONG RWY AND I DIDN'T REALIZE MY MISTAKE UNTIL MY LNDG LIGHT LIT UP THE NUMBERS ON SHORT FINAL. I WAS TOO ANXIOUS TO GET ON THE GND SO I LANDED ANYWAY. AS A RESULT OF THIS EXPERIENCE; I HAVE DECIDED TO TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS WHEN FLYING AT NIGHT; ESPECIALLY. I WILL GET WX UPDATES MORE OFTEN; I WILL HAVE THE HANDHELD MORE ACCESSIBLE AND I WILL CHK THE RADIO OP SOONER RATHER THAN LATER; PREFERABLY ON THE GND.