C210 ENRTE FROM FLG TO SMO FAILS TO RECEIVE UPDATED ALTIMETER INFO FROM ZLA AFTER FREQ CHANGE.

Narrative

I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM FLG TO SMO. APCHING EED VOR; THE CTLR ASKED IF I HAD RECEIVED THE ALTIMETER SETTING OF 29.62 FOR NEEDLES. I REPLIED 'NEGATIVE.' WHEN I CHKED ONTO THE FREQ; I HAD NOT BEEN GIVEN A NEW ALTIMETER SETTING. MY ALTIMETER REMAINED SET AT 30.12; UNCHANGED FROM MY DEP AT FLAGSTAFF. WHEN I PUT IN THE NEW SETTING; IT CHANGED MY INDICATED ALTITUDE BY ABOUT 500 FT. I CORRECTED MY ALT. BECAUSE THE CHANGE WAS SO LARGE; I CALLED THE CTLR BACK AND SUGGESTED THAT HE AND OTHER ACFT SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE EXTREME CHANGE IN WX SYS IN A SHORT DISTANCE. HE REPLIED THAT HE THOUGHT I HAD READ BACK THE NEW SETTING WHEN I CAME ON; BUT ALLOWED THAT IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN SOMEONE ELSE. I STRESSED THAT I HAD NOT BEEN GIVEN THE SETTING. MY PRACTICE IS TO ADJUST THE ALTIMETER DIAL; AS I READ BACK A SETTING. I DON'T BELIEVE THE SETTING WAS ISSUED OR THAT I READ IT BACK. I NOTICED IN 27 HRS OF IFR FLYING BTWN CA AND FL LAST WK; THAT CTLRS MENTION THE ALTIMETER SETTING DURING HDOFS ABOUT 50% OF THE TIME. MORE CONSISTENCY WOULD BE USEFUL. I SUPPOSE IN THE FUTURE; I WILL ASK 100% OF THE TIME WHEN I CHANGE FREQS.