Hello Gvt and welcome in here!
Well, I don't hone for a long time, and my coti is my first and only stone.
On my first experiences, I didn't checked HHT right out of the stone, and I discovered after It was a recomended test.
So in the first times, I get something like HHT3 after stropping, and could get good shaves.
Then, I decided to do unicot on a blade : I followed the procedure, and trid HHT right out of the stone : between 0 & 1... so I made more reguler strokes on water, an this untill I could get a decent HHT3... Took me some time, I don't remember, but something around 5 to 10 series of 30 strokes. Maybie that's not surprising as my technique may not be one of the best (still consider me as a beginner), and as water only is very soft on steel.
But after this, and of course a good stropping, as said in the methods, I got HHT from 3 to 4 (not for, but better than 3 as the catch effect is less important than it was before... so pop is cleaner).
And my shave really imrpoves : blade is softer, shave is closer... not perfect yet (still a beginner in straight sahving too..) but better than before.
I tried again on another razor with dilucot and the same goal : HHT3 after finishing stage : that also took time, but worked!
So, I presume beginnig takes some time to get good results that will come faster with esperience...
If you haven't done it yet, triying Unicot seems to be a good option. Not the one I prefer in theory, because tape hurts my purist mind, but I must admit that it works, and it works good!
A last advice, important for HHT out of the stone : carrefully dry the blade, to be sure there is no water remaining on it : that is, IMO, the way to get a good HHT out of the stone.