POTENTIAL CONFLICT ENSUES WHEN ACR LGT DEVIATES AROUND CLOUD BUILDUP FOR WX AVOIDANCE.

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ON A VECTOR WITH CLRNC TO DEVIATE AND IN AREA OF TSTMS WE LOST CONTACT WITH CENTER. ABQ I BELIEVE. WE EITHER RAN OUT OF RANGE OR LOST THEM IN PRECIP STATIC. WE GOT OUR NEW FREQ THROUGH COMPANY SELCAL. WHEN WE CONTACTED THE NEW CTLR WE RECEIVED A VERBAL REPRIMAND FOR 'DEVIATING WHEN YOU WERE CLRED DIRECT.' WE HAD DEVIATED N (THIS IS A FLT FROM CVG TO SAN) TO GAR ONE BUILDUP. THE CTLR STATED THAT WE HAD COME TO A MI FROM COMPANY TFC WHICH HE WAS CTLING. WHEN DEVS ARE IN PROGRESS AND TSTMS ARE IN THE AREA OR WHEN CLRED TO DEVIATE WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO LEARN WHAT THE NEXT FREQ WILL BE; JUST IN CASE? WHILE I HAVE YOUR EAR; I WONDER WHY WE DON'T DROP THE ZERO WHEN TALKING ABOUT FLT LEVELS. ITS ALWAYS THERE; WE'RE NEVER CLRED TO 335 OR 351; ALWAYS 330 OR 350 ETC. CLRING A FLT TO FL35 WILL NEVER BE CONFUSED WITH A TURN TO 350 DEGS. ALTS AND HDGS (ALWAYS GIVEN 3 DIGITS) WOULD NEVER BE MISTAKEN FOR ONE ANOTHER AND TFC ON THE RADIO WOULD BE REDUCED. I'VE TRIED THIS WHEN READING BACK CLB AND DSCNT CLRNCS (EG; 'ROGER; CLRED TO 31') AND IT SEEMS TO WORK WELL.