If you adjust the tx antenna for "low noise receive", you are likely seriously compromising the transmit signal, at least at the low angles required for long distance. Forget all about adjusting the transmit antenna for best noise, and use a completely separate receiving antenna. The aim of a decent transmit antenna is gain (you want to be loud) and efficiency (you don't want to warm up the worms!) With a receive antenna, you have completely different requirements: you need good directivity (so as to avoid QRM), gain is NOT important, but signal to noise is. I'll expound on this soon..
