GA-SMA INADVERTENTLY CLIMBED INTO TCA AND CONFLICTED WITH AN ACR-MLG.

Narrative

I DEPARTED SQL FOR A RIGHT DOWNWIND DEP I CLRED THE SAN CARLOS TFC AREA AND PROCEEDED TO CLB TO 2000' AGL. AT THIS TIME I REQUESTED A FREQ CHANGE; WHICH WAS APPROVED; AND CONTACTED BAY DEP 135.65 FOR FLT FOLLOWING TO BAKERSFIELD. I WAS GIVEN A XPONDER CODE AND ADVISED THAT I WAS SLIGHTLY NW OF PAO AND TO REMAIN CLR OF THE SFO TCA. I HAD BEEN UTILIZING A DME TUNED TO THE SFO VOR 111.6 TO DETERMINE THE TCA BOUNDARIES AS WELL AS IDENTING GND REFERENCES. I CONTINUED MY CLB TO; BUT REMAINED BELOW; 2500' UNTIL THE DME INDICATED 15 NM FROM SFO. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT I HAD CROSSED PAO--THE LANDMARK FOR THE TCA DIVISION OF AREAS CHARLIE AND DELTA. AT THIS POINT I CONTINUED MY CLB TO 3800' ATTEMPTING TO REMAIN BELOW THE 4000' FLOOR OF TCA REGION DELTA. DURING THIS CLB FROM 2500' TO 3800' I COPIED PORTIONS OF A XMISSION BTWN ATC (BAY DEP) AND AN MLG JET. THE JET WAS BEING ADVISED OF TFC AHEAD. I DID NOT COPY THE IDENT OF THIS TFC. BAY DEP DID NOT ADVISE ME THAT I WAS THE TFC; NOR DID THE ATC WARM ME OF THE ONCOMING MLG JET. SEVERAL MINS LATER THE JET WAS VISUALIZED AT 12 O'CLOCK. APPROX 300' ABOVE ME. SHORTLY THEREAFTER I WAS GIVEN A PHONE # TO CALL AT OAK TWR AFTER LNDG. UPON CONTACTING THE TWR I WAS TOLD THAT THE INCIDENT HAD OCCURRED WITHIN AREA CHARLIE RATHER THAN DELTA AND THAT I HAD ENTERED THE TCA. MY CONCERNS ARE: I WAS NEVER ADVISED OF THE TCA PENETRATION THOUGH THE ATC HAD AMPLE TIME TO WARN ME OF THIS CONDITION IF THIS WAS THE CASE. I WAS NOT ADVISED OF THE ONCOMING JET TFC THOUGH I WAS ON FLT FOLLOWING--AN EVASIVE DSCNT WOULD HAVE BEEN QUITE EASY TO ACCOMPLISH. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE I REMAINED BELOW TCA LEVEL CHARLIE UNTIL PASSING PAO AND REACHING 15 NM FROM SFO VOR BASED ON THE DME READINGS; THEN PROCEEDED TO CLB TO 3800' WHERE THE NMAC OCCURRED. THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING THIS INCIDENT.