Return flight across the channel

Took off from Abbeville and started the flight back across the channel.

Found that I had a headwind all the way so was at times only making 40 mph over the ground/sea.

After several confirmation radio discussions as to where I was when I left Abbeville, where I was going, and when I would coast out, I finally managed to activate the flight plan with Lille.

Reached the coast and called coasting out. Although there were clouds and turbulence on both sides of the water, the channel itself was clear and cloudless so I was able to take my phone out and snap a few shots.

At mid channel I called Lille again a couple of times but no reply so changed frequency to London Air Traffic Control, who equally were not responding to my radio calls.

It was then that I noticed that the voltmeter on the plane was showing 8 volts and falling, rather than the 14 volts it should normally show. If the power drops below 10 volts the radio won't transmit which explained why I could hear other aircraft making their radio calls to London Information including Donald who'd also stayed in Abbeville, and Tom and Jane who'd made their way direct from Le Mans to Redhill and were now just ahead of me.

Not good, I was over the channel and the airplane voltage continued to drop even furrther.

Started unplugging thing to see if I could isolate the problem. Wasn't the GPS, and it wasn't the radio, but now down to 6 volts so when I plugged the radio back in it didn't work at all; I couldn't even hear other radio transmissions.

Fearing I'd blown the radio fuse again there was nothing for it but to continue the flight to Stoke, but now without any radio contact.