SMT WAS 10 DEGREES OFF COURSE AND TURNED TO DIRECT HEADING TOO SOON. PENETRATED APCH CTL AIRSPACE WITHOUT HANDOFF OR POINTOUT AND WAS IN CLOSE PROX TO ACFT IN APCH CTL AIRSPACE.

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I DEPARTED RWY 10 AT THE SYR ARPT AT XA00 LCL TIME ON 8/THU/88. THE DEPARTING CTLR GAVE ME A 120 DEG HDG TO INTERCEPT V483; THEN AS FILED (DIRECT SHERB INTXN V14 ALB; DEST ALB); CLB AND MAINTAIN 7000'. DURING THE CLB I NOTICED THE #1 VOR NEEDLE; WHICH WAS TUNED TO RKA-112.6; 156 DEG INBND; WAS NOT VERY SENSITIVE AT THAT TIME--POSSIBLY DUE TO MY ALT (3000-5000'). THE #1 DME WAS TUNED TO THE SYR LOC. I FLY THIS FLT 4 DAYS/WK AND KEEP MINDFUL OF MY ACFT'S PERFORMANCE THROUGH DIFFERENT CONDITIONS AND SEASONS; HENCE KEEPING TRACK OF THE TIME IT TAKES TO INTERCEPT V483 BY THE DME. THE SYR CTLR THEN TOLD ME TO CLB AND MAINTAIN 10000'. ABOUT 5000' HE HAD ME CONTACT ZBW ON 133.25. ZBW SAID TO CLB TO 13000'; WHICH IS THE FILED ALT. I ASKED FOR DIRECT ALB. ZBW SAID; 'OUT OF 10000'; CLRED DIRECT ALB; CORRECTION; OUT OF 11000'; CLRED DIRECT.' PASSING 11000' I STARTED TO MAKE MY TURN TO 115 DEGS TO ALB WHEN I NOTICED I WAS OFF HDG BY APPROX 10 DEGS E--BUT CHKING THE VOR HEAD; THE NEEDLE WAS WITHIN 2 DOTS OF CENTERLINE. ON 7/THU/88; I DID A VOT CHK WITH SATISFACTORY RESULTS. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; BOS ASKED ME TO RECYCLE MY TRANSPONDER ON CODE (XXXX). THE #2 TRANSPONDER WAS ON; SO I CHANGED OVER TO #1 AND TOLD BOS THAT. A SHORT WHILE LATER; HE ADVISED ME OF TFC AT 9 O'CLOCK AND 3 MI AT 9000'. LEVEL AT 13000' I WAS SWITCHED TO BOS ON 132.65; WHICH WAS EARLIER THAN USUAL. THAT AFTERNOON I WAS INFORMED BY FAA THAT GSS PHONED AND SAID THAT I HAD PENETRATED THEIR AIRSPACE BY 6 MI WHICH CAUSED THEM TO TURN AN ACFT AWAY. THEY SAID THAT THEY HAD ME AT 9000' AND THEN LOST MY MODE C AND THEN OBSERVED A TURN EBND; AND THEN THE MODE C RETURNING AT AN ALT OF 11000'; WHICH IS THE TOP OF THEIR AIRSPACE. THEIR APPARENT COMMENT WAS THAT I TURNED OFF THE ALT RPTING AND TURNED DIRECT TO ALB AND TURNED IT BACK ON AT 11000'. I DID NOT TURN OFF THE MODE C. I DID NOT TURN EBND BEFORE REACHING 11000'. IF I WAS OFF COURSE; WHY DID THE BOS CTLR NOT LET ME KNOW THAT I WAS DRIFTING OFF COURSE INTO AIRSPACE THAT'S NOT HIS OWN? WHY DID THE BOS CTLR NOT TELL ME THAT MY MODE C WAS INOP? I COMMONLY WILL INCREASE MY RATE OF CLB AS I APCH 10000' TO REACH 11000' TO INITIATE MY TURN DIRECT SOONER; AND THEN LEVEL OFF TO GAIN MY SPD AGAIN; THEREFORE TURNING SOONER THAN EXPECTED. NOT ONCE DID ANY CTLR SAY ANYTHING TO ME ABOUT THE SITUATION.