I've submitted plenty of things that get to #1, or front page, but can't seem to find much consistency in what people like / don't like. Not as obviously as Reddit/Digg/Slashdot, anyway - which is a good thing! I'm very pleased that HN isn't as one-dimensional as some other sites; it's what keeps me coming back.
But it is weird, what becomes popular and what doesn't. For example, I submitted this particular story, which I was a bit unsure about (like you say, more suited to Reddit), but still people vote it up.
Other times, I can submit content that I think is genuinely interesting/fascinating, that is much more technical and comprehensive than this rather silly BBC/URL story, and it doesn't get a single vote. Maybe it's the time of day / day of the week.
On that note, does anyone know of any data repositories for Hacker News front page items? An API or raw-data download that can be analyzed? I remember someone a few months ago doing some analysis on the best time of day to submit, but was wondering if there was any public data out there, or whether I should start spidering/collecting my own?