BE10 PLT CLBS WITHOUT CLRNC IN ZHU AIRSPACE.

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TOOK OFF FROM UTS UNDER VFR CONDITIONS. PICKED UP IFR CLRNC FROM ZHU. CLRNC WAS GIVEN DIRECT CEDAR CREEK VOR AND THEN DIRECT GKY AND WAS TOLD TO EXPECT AN ARR FROM THE NEXT CTLR. NO ALT WAS GIVEN IN THE CLRNC. I ASKED IF WE WERE TO GO UP TO 14000 FT MSL; BUT THE CTLR DID NOT RESPOND. AS WE CLBED THROUGH 6000 FT MSL; THE CTLR CALLED TFC AT 12 O'CLOCK; 15 MI; AT 9000 FT MSL. REACHING 8000 FT MSL; I ASKED THE CTLR TO GIVE THE POS OF THE TFC. HE SAID THE ACFT WAS 9 O'CLOCK AND 5 MI AND NO FACTOR. AS WE CONTINUED OUR CLB THROUGH 8600 FT; THE CTLR ASKED IF WE WERE LEVEL AT 8000 FT MSL. I RESPONDED THAT WE WERE NOT GIVEN A CLRNC TO MAINTAIN 8000 FT MSL AND I HAD ASKED EARLIER IF WE WERE TO GO UP TO 14000 FT MSL. I TOLD HIM THE REASON I HAD ASKED FOR HIM TO CALL THE TFC AGAIN AS WE WERE REACHING 8000 FT MSL WAS TO MAKE SURE WE WEREN'T GOING TO BE A TFC CONFLICT. HE THEN GAVE ME A CLRNC TO 14000 FT MSL AND HANDED ME OFF TO ZFW. I THINK THERE WERE 2 CONTRIBUTING FACTORS. THE FIRST WAS THE CTLR'S FAILURE TO PROVIDE A COMPLETE CLRNC INCLUDING ALT AND THE SECOND WAS THAT I WASN'T ASSERTIVE ENOUGH TO GET AN ALT CLRNC FROM HIM. I WAS CONTACTED BY THE FAA AND HE AGREED THAT I WAS NEVER GIVEN A COMPLETE CLRNC INCLUDING ALT. HE ALSO SAID THAT THE CTLR HAD MISSED MY CALL ABOUT 14000 FT. IT'S IMPORTANT FOR BOTH CTLRS AND PLTS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COM GAP IS CLOSED AT ALL TIMES TO PREVENT CONFUSION AND THE POSSIBILITY OF SAFETY RELATED PROBS.