SMA DEPARTS NON TWR ARPT AND TRIES TO PICK UP IFR CLRNC. MISCOM WITH APCH CTLR. BELIEVES HE IS IFR; ENTERS IMC.

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I TOOK OFF FROM WARNER SPRINGS RANCH NEAR SAN DIEGO AND FLEW INTO IMC AFTER I THOUGHT I HAD RECEIVED A CLRNC. AFTER LNDG I GOT TOGETHER WITH AN INST FLT INSTRUCTOR AND FOUND OUT I HAD MADE AN ERROR; HENCE THIS RPT. I FLY OUT OF SAN DIEGO GILLESPIE (SEE) WHICH IS A CTLED FIELD. WHEN I HAVE FLOWN OUT OF UNCTLED FIELDS IFR I HAVE ALWAYS PICKED UP MY CLRNC IN THE AIR. THIS IS WHAT I PLANNED TO DO ON SUN. I HAD CALLED FOR WX AND FILED IFR. I ASKED IF I SHOULD OPEN ON 124.35 AND WAS TOLD THAT WOULD BE OK. I CLBED TO 4000 FT AND COULD NOT GET SAN APCH. THE BASE OF THE CLOUDS WERE AROUND 4500 SO I FOUND A HOLE AND WENT UP. I GOT IN CONTACT WITH SAN APCH AND GAVE MY POS. I WAS TOLD TO CALL ZLA ON 127.4. CTR GAVE ME A SQUAWK AND WX AT SEE AND I WAS TOLD TO EXPECT THE LOC APCH. I SAID I HAD A FLT PLAN ON FILE. AFTER A MOMENT I WAS GIVEN ANOTHER SQUAWK AND TOLD TO IDENT. HERE IS WHERE I MADE MY MISTAKE. NOTHING WAS SAID ABOUT REMAINING VFR AND I FELT I WAS IN THE SYS. I HAVE A LORAN; SO I STARTED HDG FOR BARET; THE INITIAL APCH FIX FOR SEE. I WAS HANDED OFF TO 132.2 AND THEN TO 124.35. I REMEMBER RPTING THAT I WAS IMC TO THE CTLR ON ONE OF HIS CALLS; AND WAS TOLD THAT I HAD BEEN TOLD TO REMAIN VFR. WE HAD NOT BEEN TOLD TO REMAIN VFR SO I RPTED SO. HE TOLD ME TO REMAIN ON THE SAME COURSE AND EXPECT TO INTERCEPT THE LOC. HE THEN VECTORED ME TO THE APCH AND WE CAME IN AND LANDED. I HAVE SINCE TALKED TO 2 CFII'S AND THE SUPVR AT SAN FSS. I NOW KNOW ABOUT GETTING A VOID TIME CLRNC BY PHONE. I HAVE ALSO READ THE ARTICLE WHICH WAS IN MY FLT BAG IN IFR MAGAZINE THIS MONTH TITLED 'IFR OUT OF PODUNK.' I WON'T MAKE THAT MISTAKE AGAIN.