C210 PLT HAS ALT DEV WHILE DIVERTING ATTENTION TO MULTIPLE PROBLEMS. EMERGENCY IS DECLARED FOR THIS PLT BY ATC.

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I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN WHEN AUTOPLT STOPPED WORKING. TO STAY VISUAL; I REQUESTED A CLRNC TO 8000 FT AND LATER TO 10000 FT. I WAS FLYING AROUND/BTWN 2 AREAS OF TSTM ACTIVITY; USING A WX 1000 STORMSCOPE + XM NEXRAD RADAR; BUT I WANTED TO STAY VISUAL ON TOP TO SEE CELL DEVELOPMENT. I REQUESTED AND WAS CLRED FROM ZZZ DIRECT FOD; DIRECT FRM. ABOUT 10 MINS LATER; I DEVELOPED A FUEL FLOW ISSUE; LOW FUEL FLOW; AND AFTER TROUBLESHOOTING; REALIZED I COULD MAINTAIN LEVEL FLT; BUT COULD NOT CLB. I MADE A DECISION TO REVERSE COURSE TO RETURN TO AN AREA WHERE I COULD MAKE A VISUAL DSCNT AND PROCEED TO AN AVIONICS AND MAINT FACILITY. I CHOSE TO DIVERT TO ZZZ1 WHERE I HAD BEEN BASED THE LAST 10 YRS AND HAD A MECH AND RADIO SHOP. I WAS CLRED TO REVERSE COURSE AND MAINTAIN 10000 FT ZZZ. THE CTLR COULD NOT UNDERSTAND THAT I DIDN'T WANT TO LAND AT ZZZ BUT WANTED TO FLY S UNTIL I WAS CLR OF THE UNDERCAST. ABOUT THIS TIME THE CTLR SAID SHE HAD LOST MY XPONDER; SO I WAS NOW TROUBLESHOOTING 3 PROBS AT ONE TIME! ALSO ABOUT THIS TIME SHE INFORMED ME THAT ATC WAS DECLARING AN EMER ON MY BEHALF. I IMMEDIATELY PROTESTED THAT I DID NOT HAVE AN EMER; DID NOT WANT EMER STATUS; ETC. I SPOKE WITH A SUPVR AND CONVEYED THE SAME MESSAGE TO HIM; AND FULLY DISCLOSED MY REASONING AND PLANS REGARDING PROCEEDING VISUALLY TO A LOWER ALT; THEN TO ZZZ1. I RECEIVED WX; WHICH REASONABLY ASSURED ZZZ1 WOULD BE VISUAL. THE CTLR RPTED RECEIVING MY XPONDER AGAIN; SO ONE PROB SOLVED! WHEN THE TOPS LOWERED; I REQUESTED 5000 FT AND SHE CLRED ME TO 8000 FT WHICH I ACKNOWLEDGED. I WAS S OF ZZZ2 AND SHE CONTINUED TO WANT ME TO LAND AT ZZZ IN SPITE OF MY CONVERSATIONS WITH THE SUPVR. I BEGAN DSNDING WHILE CONTINUING TO TROUBLESHOOT MY REMAINING 2 PROBS. THE NEXT CALL WAS THE CTLR ASKING MY ALT WHICH I OBSERVED AND RPTED AS 6800 FT. I WAS REMINDED MY CLRNC WAS TO 8000 FT; AND CLRED BACK TO 7000 FT WHICH I CLBED TO AND HELD UNTIL LATER CLRED TO DSND TO 4000 FT; WHICH I DID. I THEN ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED A CLRNC DIRECT ZZZ1; WHERE I MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG AND CALLED CENTER AS REQUESTED TO RPT SAFELY ON THE GND. IN THINKING ABOUT THE SITUATION; I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE CONSIDERED FURTHER BEFORE FLYING IFR IN AN AREA OF STRONG STORMS; AS I PREFER TO HAVE A WORKING AUTOPLT TO SHARE THE WORKLOAD WHEN SINGLE PLT IFR. I BELIEVE I WAS IN WORK OVERLOAD; WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO MY MISUNDERSTANDING THE CLRNC TO 8000 FT; WHEN I HAD REQUESTED 5000 FT. THE MISUNDERSTANDINGS WITH THE CTLR; AND ISSUES ABOUT DECLARING AN EMER; DIVERTED SOME OF MY ATTN.