ACR SMT ENCOUNTERED WX ON CLIMB; BECAME VFR IN IMC. UNABLE TO GET CLRNC FROM ARTCC.

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DEPARTED HANA ARPT ON REGULARLY SCHEDULED FLT. HVY RAIN N AND NW. PRIOR TO ENTERING IMC ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT ZHN THROUGH 2000'; BUT STILL TOO LOW. THEN AGAIN VFR AT 3500' MADE ANOTHER ATTEMPT. CENTER TOLD ME CONTACT MAUI APCH 119.5 WITH SQUELCH OFF NO AUDIO; SQUELCH UP; ONE EXTREMELY BUSY APCH CTLR. HIS HANDS WERE FULL WITH SEQUENCING OF ARRS TO KAHULUI ARPT WHICH WAS; AT THE TIME; IFR AND EVERYONE WAS IMC AND ON THE APCH (ILS FOR 2; VOR FOR 3 OR 2). MY ORIGINAL REQUEST WITH CENTER WAS FOR AN IFR CLRNC V11 OGG V24 LNY 5000. I WAS ASKED TO CALL APCH; AS I SAY; AND FOR APPROX 4 MINS THERE WAS NOT 1 BREAK IN COMS BTWN APCH (119.5) AND ACFT IN HIS SECTOR. THEN; WHEN I GOT THROUGH TO HIM; HE WAS EXTREMELY HELPFUL; HANDLED MY REQUEST AND WE PICKED UP OUR IFR SQUAWK AND ENTERED IMC. BY THE TIME WE WERE ESTABLISHED ON THE ARWY; AS WE LEVELED AT 5000'; WE BROKE OUT VMC; WE HAD OUR NEXT VFR LANDMARK IN SIGHT. SO; TO REDUCE CTLR WORKLOAD; WE RPTED VFR/VMC; CANCELLED IFR; AND STAYED ON SQUAWK FOR ADVISORIES. I WISH THAT IN IMC WITH IFR IN EFFECT THAT THE 2 APCH AND DEP FREQS TO BE USED MORE EFFECTIVELY OR ADDITIONAL FREQS BE ADDED UNDER IFR CONDITIONS. AND; I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE WHY CENTER (I KNOW I WAS IN HIS AIRSPACE) HAD ME WAIT AND WAIT; THEN TOLD ME TO CONTACT APCH; OTHER THAN HE SAW OUR 1200 SQUAWK AND WAS WAITING TILL WE CROSSED HIS BORDER TO APCH. IF THAT WAS THE CASE; I WISH HE COULD HAVE (NO MATTER HOW CLOSE TO BORDER OF HIS SECTOR WE WERE) AT LEAST GIVEN US A SQUAWK AND CLRED US TO AN INTXN OR FIX IN OUR DIRECTION OF FLT TO AT LEAST PROCEED AND HAVE THE USE OF THE IFR SYS; WHICH FOR ME; 95% OF THE TIME; IS TERRIFIC. I MYSELF HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED IN SELF-IMPROVEMENT AND I THINK ATC FEELS THE SAME WAY.