GA SMA RADIO FAILURE FOLLOWED BY PLT GETTING LOST.

Narrative

UPON APPROACHING CHICAGO AREA ENROUTE TO GYY GARY AIRPORT FAILED TO RECEIVE PERMISSION TO ENTER. TRIED BOTH RADIO--TURN EAST TO STAY CLEAR. TRYING RADIO AGAIN. TURN THROUGH DOWNWIND 180 DEG HEADING. IN HEADING SOUTH COULDN'T LOCATE MY POSITION. THE WIND'S HAD PUSHED US FARTHER EAST THAN I REALIZED. PUT IN 7700 FAILED TO CHANGE AFTER ONE MIN. UPON COMING IN SIGHT OF AN AIRPORT--LOWERED WHEEL TURN ON LANDING LIGHTS CHECK OUT AREA. CAME INTO A BRIEF STRONG TURBULENCE. RECEIVED GREEN LIGHT AND LANDED IN LAF. NOTE WE NEED A WAY TO COMMUNICATE IF RADIO TRANSMITTER'S FAIL AND LOST. LIKE CODE AND LISTENING ON 121.5? CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: LEARNED THAT ON ARRIVAL LAF HE WAS MET BY A RECEPTION PARTY FROM LAF TWR PROBABLY BECAUSE OF THE 7700 SQUAWK. AFTER EXPLAINING THE AIR FORCE BASE THAT HAD HIS SQUAWK OF THE PROBLEM THEY WERE SATISFIED. LAF TWR WAS UNHAPPY BECAUSE HE HAD FLOWN ACROSS THEIR ARPT AT LOW ALTITUDE BUT WERE APPARENTLY NOT GOING TO TAKE ANY ACTION. KNEW HE WANTED TO STAY CLEAR OF CHICAGO AREA WEST OF SBN. TRIED TO RAISE ZAU AND ORD APCH BUT APPARENTLY RADIO COM HAD FAILED. WHEN REALIZED DID NOT KNOW WHERE WAS PUT DNV VOR ON NAV SET AND WAS HEADING FOR DNV WHEN SAW ARPT WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE LAF AND LANDED TO FIND OUT WHERE HE WAS.