SMA DEVIATES FROM ASSIGNED ALT DUE POOR COM AND MISUNDERSTANDING TERMINOLOGY.

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I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM PUEBLO; CO; TO ABQ AND MY INITIAL CLRNC AFTER DEPARTING PUEBLO WAS TO CLB AND MAINTAIN 11000 FT AND HEAD 230 DEGS TO INTERCEPT V-19. DURING MY CLBOUT I WAS IN VFR CONDITIONS BUT THERE WERE SCATTERED CUMULUS AT A HIGHER ALT. AFTER LEVELING OFF AT 11000 FT; PUEBLO DEP CTL TOLD ME TO CONTACT ZDV ON 128.37. THE RADIO IN MY ACFT WILL NOT TUNE TO 5 SEPARATE DIGITS AND I ADVISED PUEBLO DEP I WAS UNABLE TO TUNE IN THE FREQ. AFTER SEVERAL MINS; I WAS TOLD TO CONTACT FLT WATCH ON 122.2 AND RESUME MY OWN NAV. I WAS SUSPICIOUS BECAUSE I KNEW FLT WATCH IS ON 122.0; AND I WAS EXPECTING A TRANSFER TO ANOTHER CTR FREQ. FEARING THAT I WAS NO LONGER ON AN IFR CLRNC; I CALLED PUEBLO DEP AGAIN AND TOLD THEM I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN TO ABQ. THE CTLR TOLD ME AGAIN TO CONTACT FSS ON 122.2 AND RESUME MY OWN NAV. I CALLED FSS AND WAS TOLD AGAIN TO RESUME MY OWN NAV. AT THIS TIME I WAS APCHING CLOUDS AND KNEW THAT I WOULD BE IN IFR CONDITIONS IF I CONTINUED AT MY PRESENT ALT OF 11000 FT. ASSUMING I WAS NO LONGER ON AN IFR CLRNC AND WAS NOW VFR I DSNDED TO 10500 FT TO MAINTAIN VFR CONDITIONS. I WAS CONTACTED LATER BY FSS AND ADVISED THAT ZAB HAD TOLD FSS I WAS OFF MY ALT AND TO RESUME 11000 FT AND CONTACT THEM FOR FURTHER CLRNC. THE SITUATION OCCURRED DUE TO A BREAKDOWN IN COM BTWN PUEBLO DEP AND MYSELF. IF THEY HAD SIMPLY EXPLAINED TO ME WHY I WAS BEING HANDED OFF TO FSS AND CLARIFIED I WAS STILL ON AN IFR CLRNC EVEN THOUGH A HDOF TO FSS IS UNCONVENTIONAL; I WOULD HAVE KNOWN. WHEN I QUERIED DEP ALL I WAS TOLD WAS TO CONTACT FSS AND RESUME MY OWN NAV; SO I ASSUMED I WAS NOW VFR AND DID NOT WANT TO ENTER IFR CONDITIONS WITHOUT A CLRNC; DECIDING THAT WAS THE SAFER OPTION.