You are absolutely correct re your lotto comment. The highest readability on hf for anyone is readability 4 if conditions are absolutely perfect. The norm is 3 or less. At the moment with half of the transmitters and receivers not working it’s a challenge for everyone.
Keep in mind that when an HF operator does not answer you over HF - they may be busy on the phone talking to pilots like outnabout who have better mobile reception than hf reception.
Depending on the time of day, there may be only one HF operator servicing the entire suite of domestic frequencies, plus answering the phones incl SARTIMES.