AFTER DEPARTING ALB AND BEING HANDED OFF TO DEP CTL WITHOUT A CLB CLRNC ABOVE THE INITIAL 3000 FT; A CREW BECOMES CONCERNED. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO MAKE CONTACT ON A CONGESTED FREQ THEY ARE SUCCESSFUL AND ARE TOLD THEY HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY ISSUED A CLB TO 9000 FT. THE CREW HAD NO RECALL OF THE PREVIOUS CLRNC.

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AFTER DEPARTING ALBANY; NY; WITH A CLRNC FOR THE ALBANY 3 DEP TO MAINTAIN 3000 FT; WE WERE TOLD TO CONTACT DEP. AFTER CHKING IN WITH DEP; WE WERE GIVEN A VECTOR TO JOIN THE AIRWAY. BEING THE PNF; I READ BACK THE CLRNC. ABOUT 4-5 MI FROM THE ARPT; THE CAPT AND I DISCUSSED WHY WE HAD NOT BEEN GIVEN A CLB. THE CAPT SAID WE WERE NOT GIVEN A CLB BY DEP AND I AGREED WE WERE ONLY GIVEN THE L TURN TO JOIN THE AIRWAY. FOR THE NEXT 4 OR 5 MI I ATTEMPTED TO CALL ALB DEP TO ASK FOR A HIGHER ALT; BUT DUE TO FREQ CONGESTION IT TOOK 3 ATTEMPTS. I ASKED THE CTLR FOR HIGHER AND HE SAID 'I SEE YOU LEVEL AT 3000 FT; CLB AND MAINTAIN 9000 FT; I GAVE YOU 9000 FT.' I READ BACK THE 9000 FT CLRNC AND WE INITIATED THE CLB. DURING THE CLB; I QUESTIONED MYSELF ABOUT THE ORIGINAL CLRNC FROM THE DEP CTLR. I DON'T RECALL HIM GIVING US THE 9000 FT CLB CLRNC WHEN HE GAVE US THE TURN TO JOIN THE AIRWAY. I CANNOT BE SURE IF THE CTLR ASSIGNED 9000 FT ON THE INITIAL CALL TO DEP; OR IF I READ IT BACK; OR IF I READ IT BACK AND DON'T RECALL. THE CAPT SAID WE NEVER RECEIVED THE CLB CLRNC. I JUST CAN'T BE SURE. THE MAIN FACTOR FOR MY CONFUSION MAY HAVE BEEN FATIGUE. WHEN I SAY FATIGUE IT MAY NOT BE IN THE TRADITIONAL SENSE. MY DAY BEGAN AT XA50 WITH 2 DEADHEAD LEGS TO ALB. ONCE IN ALB WE SAT ABOUT 3 HRS 15 MINS UNTIL OUR XI25 DEP. THIS 7 HR 25 MINS OF NON ACTIVITY MAY HAVE LED TO ME BEING LESS THAN 100% ALERT. I USE THE WORD FATIGUE TO BEST DESCRIBE IT ALTHOUGH I DID NOT FEEL TIRED OR POORLY RESTED.