PLT OF SMA WAS IN COM WITH N90 BUT DID NOT RECEIVE CLRNC TO ENTER THE N90 (JFK) TCA ENRTE TEB.

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WHILE ENRTE FROM PROVIDENCE; RI; TO TETERBORO; NJ; I WAS FLYING WBOUND AT 6500 FT IN RADIO CONTACT WITH ZNY. AT 40 DME NE OF LA GUARDIA VOR I ASKED THE CTLR TO ARRANGE A HDOF TO NY TCA FOR A TCA DSCNT TO TETERBORO ARPT. THE CTLR SAID; 'THAT SHOULD BE NO PROBLEM.' AT 28 DME NE OF LGA THE CTLR SAID HE COULD NOT FACILITATE THE HDOF. I ASKED FOR THE TCA FREQ (?128.0?) AND CONTACTED NY TCA AT 25 DME NE OF LGA; GIVING POS; ALT; CALL SIGN; ACFT TYPE; AND INTENTION/REQUEST FOR CLRNC TO ENTER AND DSND THROUGH THE TCA ENRTE TO TETERBORO. I WAS GIVEN A SQUAWK CODE BY THE CTLR; BUT WAS NOT SPECIFICALLY CLRED TO ENTER THE TCA. AT 20 DME NE OF LGA AT 6500 FT I ENTERED THE TCA UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT HAVING ESTABLISHED 2-WAY RADIO CONTACT WITH AND RECEIVING A SQUAWK CODE FROM THE CTLING FACILITY WAS ENOUGH TO ENTER. AT APPROX 16 DME NE OF LGA THE CTLR ASKED ME IF I WAS AWARE THAT I WAS INSIDE THE TCA. I REPLIED AFFIRMATIVELY. HE SAID I HAD NOT BEEN CLRED TO ENTER AND ASKED WHY I HAD DONE SO. I REPLIED THAT I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT HAVING ESTABLISHED 2-WAY RADIO CONTACT; MAKING THE REQUEST AND RECEIVING A TRANSPONDER CODE WAS ENOUGH TO ENTER. HE SAID THAT WAS NOT THE CASE. INITIALLY I WAS REQUESTED TO TURN TO 340 AND DSND TO 5500 FT. I WAS THEN TOLD TO FLY DIRECT TETERBORO AND DSND TO BELOW THE FLOOR OF THE TCA. I REALIZED IMMEDIATELY WHEN TOLD BY THE CTLR; THAT HAVING ESTABLISHED 2-WAY RADIO CONTACT WAS NOT ENOUGH TO ENTER THE TCA AND THAT I WAS CONFUSING THE REQUIREMENTS FOR ENTRANCE INTO AN ARSA WITH THOSE OF A TCA. IN 12 YRS OF FLYING; I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN; EITHER CLRED TO ENTER A TCA OR IMMEDIATELY TOLD TO STAY CLR OF THE TCA WHEN REQUESTING A CLRNC TO ENTER. THE NIGHT IN QUESTION WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAD MADE A REQUEST; WAS GIVEN A SQUAWK CODE AND THEN NO REPLY FOR 8 OR 9 MI. I BELIEVE THERE ARE SEVERAL FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE ABOVE DESCRIBED INCIDENT. FIRST; THE DELAY IN TIME BTWN THE REQUEST/RECEIPT OF THE SQUAWK CODE AND THE NEXT COM. SECOND; THE ADVENT OF NEW AIRSPACE RULES IN THE LAST SEVERAL YRS HAS HELPED TO MAKE ME A BIT FUZZY ABOUT THE REQUIREMENTS FOR ENTERING A TCA. AND LASTLY; THE FLT WAS LATE AT NIGHT AT THE END OF A VERY LONG DAY AND I WAS PHYSICALLY MORE TIRED THAN I HAD REALIZED WHEN I TOOK OFF. I CAN SAY WITH ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY THAT I AM NOW VERY CLR ON TCA ENTRY REQUIREMENTS AND THAT I WILL NEVER MAKE THAT MISTAKE AGAIN.