SMA PLT; IFR FLT PLAN; TOOK EVASIVE ACTION TO AVOID SMA AT SAME ALT 12 O'CLOCK POSITION; OPPOSITE DIRECTION.

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IFR FLT PLAN BTWN OPF AND TMB (18 NM APART; BOTH FIELDS WERE IFR) ON RADAR VECTORS (210 DEGS). I LOOKED AHEAD AND SAW ACFT IN DISTANCE AT SAME ALT; OPP DIRECTION; HDG TOWARD ME; CLOSING. I CALLED CTLR AND SAID I HAD OPP DIRECTION TFC AT 12 O'CLOCK; SAME ALT AND ASKED IF HE WAS 'TALKING' TO HIM. NO REPLY. BY THAT TIME THE HIGH WING ACFT WAS WITHIN 300' OF MY ACFT AND WE BOTH TOOK EVASIVE ACTION (TURNED AWAY) IN TIME. BY THE TIME THE CTLR CAME BACK TO ME ASKING DID I CALL; I TOLD HIM WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND THE CONFLICT WAS OVER. HIS REPLY: 'ROGER.' HAH! I CALLED THE FAC AFTER LNDG AND SPOKE TO A SUPVR WHO CALLED ME LATER IN THE DAY TO EXPLAIN THAT AT THE TIME I CALLED IN THE ORIGINAL QUESTION ABOUT THE TFC; THE CTLR WAS BRIEFING HIS SHIFT REPLACEMENT. I ASKED WHICH SHOULD TAKE PRIORITY; IFR TFC IN IMC ON RADAR VECTORS; OR BRIEFING THE RELIEF CTLR; AND WHAT KIND OF REPLY WAS 'ROGER' AFTER HEARING OF A NEAR MISS WHICH THE CTLR WAS NOT AWARE OF DUE TO HIS NOT RESPONDING TO AN ACFT CALL PERTAINING TO TFC? CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR CONTACTED ATC AND REQUESTED COMPUTER ENHANCEMENT AND TAPES. WAS GIVEN A RUNAROUND AND AFTER THREATS WAS ABLE TO LISTEN TO TAPES. CTLR WAS TALKING TO ANOTHER ACFT; BUT RPTR STILL FEELS RESPONSE NOT ADEQUATE. RPTR HAS HAD 3 NMAC'S ON IFR FLT PLANS. DOES NOT BUILD CONFIDENCE.