GA SMA ALLEGED UNAUTH PENETRATION OF SAN TCA.

Narrative

ON A VFR FLT TO CATALINA; AT APPROX THE 320 DEG RADIAL AND 10 MI FROM MISSION BAY VOR; I REQUESTED VFR FLT FOLLOWING. AS MY ACFT PASSED THROUGH 5500 MSL; THE CTLR INFORMED ME THAT I WAS NOT CLRED INTO THE TCA AND TO DSND TO 4500 MSL. I INFORMED HIM THAT I SHOWED MY ACFT BELOW THE TCA. THE LOCATION I WAS AT; THE TCA LIMITS WERE 1500- 2500 FT AND THEN AGAIN 6800-12500 FT. I WAS AT 5500 FT CLBING TO 6500 FT. THE CTLR REQUESTED THAT I RECHK MY CHART; WHICH I DID. AGAIN I INFORMED HIM THAT I WAS NOT IN THE TCA. AGAIN HE SAID THAT I WAS. I VISUALLY CONFIRMED MY POS AND WITH THE MZB VOR MZB. I BELIEVE I WAS OUTSIDE OF THE TCA. ON THAT SAME FLT I WAS INFORMED THAT MY MODE C WAS INOPERATIVE. AFTER A FEW HOURS AT CATALINA; I RETURNED TO SAN DIEGO GILLESPIE FIELD. THE WX WAS MARGINAL SO I REQUESTED IFR TO GILLESPIE FIELD. AGAIN MY MODE C WAS RPTED INOPERATIVE. I ACKNOWLEDGED THAT RPT. THE CTLR INFORMED ME THAT IT WAS ILLEGAL TO FLY AROUND A TCA WITHOUT MODE C. I INFORMED HIM THAT I WOULD GET IT REPAIRED ASAP (THERE ARE NO REPAIR FACILITIES AT CATALINA).