GA SMA UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE AND COMPLAINT ABOUT HANDLING BY BUR TRACON.

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DEP LGB. DEST PACOIMA. VIS 5-7 K/H. FLEW EBND FROM LGB TO INTERCEPT THE 360 DEG R FR SLI. WAS MAINTAINING 3500' WHILE TRACKING NBOUND UNDER THE LA TCA. AT MIDPOINT I TUNED THE ADF TO 359 DEGS AND HOMED TO EMT. WHEN I REACHED EMT ARPT AND INTERCEPTED THE 096 DEG R FR VNY (V186). I TRACKED WBOUND TOWARD THE BUR ARSA. I CALLED BUR APCH ON 135.05 AND ANNOUNCED MY INTENTIONS. THEY DIRECTED ME TO STAY CLR OF THE ARSA. I REMAINED ON V186 AND BEGAN CLBING TO OVERFLY THE ARSA. I RECEIVED A CALL BACK ASKING ME TO VERIFY MY ALT. I RPTED 4700' AND CLBING. THEY TOLD ME TO TURN RIGHT 30 DEGS AND SAID THAT I WAS IN THE TCA. I REPLIED THAT MY VOR INDICATED THAT I WAS ON V186. THEY SAID THAT I WAS SOME MI S OF V186 AND WAS ACTUALLY ON THE BORDER OF THE TCA. DUE TO THAT LAST COMMENT; IT IS UNCLEAR TO ME IF I WAS ACTUALLY IN THE TCA. IT SEEMS THAT SOME CTLRS HAVE A PREFERRED PHRASE TO PVT PLTS; 'REMAIN CLR OF THE ARSA.' IF I HAD BEEN DIRECTLY ON THE RADIAL AS I THOUGHT MY VOR INDICATED; I COULD HAVE CLBED ON TOP W/O INCIDENT. I TRY TO BE A SAFE PLT AND USE WHATEVER RADAR COVERAGE IS AVAILABLE FOR ADDED SAFETY. I COULD HAVE ELECTED TO FLY LOW AND SLOW SKIRTING THE MOUNTAINS AND KEEPING MY MOUTH SHUT RATHER THAN TRYING TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ARSA. UPON MY RETURN FLT FROM PACOIMA; I OBTAINED RADAR COVERAGE FROM BUR APCH ON 120.4; BUT AFTER A HDOF TO 135.05 I WAS INFORMED THAT MY RADAR COVERAGE WAS LOST AND TO REMAIN CLR OF THE ARSA. HOW DOES ONE REMAIN CLR WHEN ALREADY IN IT?