AN A319 FLT CREW CLIMBING OUT OF SNA REPORTEDLY MISSED A CLEARANCE RESTRICTING THEIR CLIMB; AND THEY RESPONDED TO A TCAS ALERT.

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WE HAD JUST DEPARTED SNA ARPT AND WERE GIVEN AN ALT AND HDG OF 8000 FT AND 230 DEGS. WE WERE HANDED OFF TO SOCAL DEP 134.35. AFTER CHKING IN WE WERE GIVEN 'CLB TO 10000' WHICH WE READ BACK TO SOCAL. WE CONTINUED TO CLB. THERE WERE A NUMBER OF BLOCKED RADIO CALLS. THE FO WANTED TO CONFIRM THE ALT AS I HAD INITIALLY PUT 11000 IN THE ALT WINDOW AND HE SAID 'NO IT IS 10000' AND I SAID 'YES YOU ARE RIGHT I HEAR 10000 ALSO' SO 10000 WAS PUT IN THE ALT WINDOW. FO CALLED SOCAL AND SAID 'CONFIRM ALT IS 10000.' SOCAL 'NO; STOP AT 8000.' WE WERE ALREADY AT 8600 FT AND CLBING. AUTOPLT WAS TURNED OFF AND I STARTED TO PROCEED DOWN TO 8000 FT; BY THAT TIME WE WERE CLOSE TO 9000 FT. SOCAL 'DSND TO 8000 TURN TO 330.' THEN WE GOT AN RA OF 'CLB CLB.' FO SAID TO ME 'I HAVE HIM IN SIGHT.' I CONTINUED THE CLB. SOCAL SAID 'TURN IMMEDIATELY TO HDG 330.' FO TOLD SOCAL 'WE HAVE A CLB RA WITH TFC IN SIGHT TURNING TO 330.' SOCAL 'MAINTAIN VISUAL AND CLB TO 10000' WHICH WE DID. AFTER DISCUSSING THIS EVENT; WE BELIEVE THAT SOCAL MIGHT HAVE BEEN CALLING US TO STOP AT 8000 FT HOWEVER THE XMISSIONS WERE BLOCKED. THE FREQ WAS QUITE BUSY.