Cornflower EA

Wow!!!...are you guys REALLY still testing my EA? That's so nice!

So how's it going?
Anyone was crazy enough to use it live? (Hopefully not.. )

NiceGuy,

I think the EA will only close a trade when it reaches its TP or SL, regardless if there is a second cross of the trigger MA. Also, I think, for the same reason it won't open a new trade on the reverse.


Topgun

These are the results of the trades made for the trading week of 4/26/10 - 4/30/10. I apologize for being late in posting my results for that week, but that week was such a disaster that I contemplated skipping the posting of my results ... for the reason of going in a entirely different direction with the settings. But I have now decided to post the results anyway.

Broker: MIG
Timeframe: 1 hour
Trading time: All of the UK session (3:00am est – 12pm est) (this also includes the 1st half of the U.S. session)
# of currencies: 10
Bar: 0
MA Trigger: 12
MA Method: 1
SL & TP: 1:1 ratio
30 pip SL & 30 TP: eur/gbp
40 pip SL & 40 TP: eur/usd, aud/usd, usd/chf, usd/cad, usd/jpy
50 pip SL & 50 TP: gbp/usd, gbp/chf, eur/jpy
60 pip SL & 60 TP: gbp/jpy
Trading Direction: Long & Short

Total Trades: 54
Won: 19
Loss: 35
Percent of trades won: 35%
Pip Total: -800

Now, for the Cornflower EA results using different settings and a different broker platform (listed below):

Broker: Interbank
Timeframe: 1 hour
Trading time: All of the UK Session (3:00am est – 12pm est) (this also includes the 1st half of the U.S. session)
# of currencies: 12
Bar: 0
MA Trigger: 6
MA Method: 1
SL & TP: 1:1 ratio + 10 pips
30 SL & 40 TP: eur/gbp
50 SL & 60 TP: eur/usd, aud/usd, nzd/usd, usd/cad, usd/jpy, aud/jpy, chf/jpy
60 SL & 70 TP: gbp/usd, gbp/chf, eur/jpy
70 SL & 80 TP: gbp/jpy
Trading Direction: Long & Short

Total Trades: 64
Won: 17
Loss: 47
Percent of trades won: 27%
Pip Total: -1450

Here are last week's trading results (5/3/10 - 5/7/10).

Broker: MIG
Timeframe: 1 hour
Trading time: All of the UK session (3:00am est – 12pm est) (this also includes the 1st half of the U.S. session)
# of currencies: 10
Bar: 0
MA Trigger: 12
MA Method: 1
SL & TP: 1:1 ratio
30 pip SL & 30 TP: eur/gbp
40 pip SL & 40 TP: eur/usd, aud/usd, usd/chf, usd/cad, usd/jpy
50 pip SL & 50 TP: gbp/usd, gbp/chf, eur/jpy
60 pip SL & 60 TP: gbp/jpy
Trading Direction: Long & Short

Total Trades: 104
Won: 62
Loss: 42
Percent of trades won: 60%
Pip Total: +840

Now, for the Cornflower EA results using different settings and a different broker platform (listed below):

Broker: Interbank
Timeframe: 1 hour
Trading time: All of the UK Session (3:00am est – 12pm est) (this also includes the 1st half of the U.S. session)
# of currencies: 12
Bar: 0
MA Trigger: 6
MA Method: 1
SL & TP: 1:1 ratio + 10 pips
30 SL & 40 TP: eur/gbp
50 SL & 60 TP: eur/usd, aud/usd, nzd/usd, usd/cad, usd/jpy, aud/jpy, chf/jpy
60 SL & 70 TP: gbp/usd, gbp/chf, eur/jpy
70 SL & 80 TP: gbp/jpy
Trading Direction: Long & Short

Total Trades: 64
Won: 66
Loss: 65
Percent of trades won: 50%
Pip Total: +730

I always round off the "Percent of trades won" to the nearest % number, so that is why the above is entered as "50%", even though I won 1 more trade than I lost. A more exact percentage is "50.38%".

Last week's results were much better than the previous week's results. I'm still not sure if I am using the best settings for the 2 Cornflower EA's I am using. But then again, that is what testing is for.


Topgun

Hi Postrock,

I'm glad to see you are still around. Yes, I have recently returned to give your EA another try. Hopefully - through testing - I can find the optimum settings to make it profitable. IF I can do that, then I will test it on a small live account.


Topgun

No man, i am glad (and surprised) that you guys are still playing with my stupid little program.

Your testing is very good. I only would like to advice that i dont think that any "settings" can make the EA profitable forever. the market is constantly changing, we would need to find what makes those EA settings profitable for that period of time and then make the EA so that it changes its own settings dynamicly..wich is very hard..

However...pls go on Topgun, your testing is VERY interesting. It may inspire me to rewrite the EA or search the code to enhance it..

Not now though..but ill keep checking this thread..

Here are last week's trading results (May 10, 2010 - May 14, 2010).

Broker: MIG
Timeframe: 1 hour
Trading time: All of the UK session (3:00am est – 12pm est) (this also includes the 1st half of the U.S. session)
# of currencies: 10
Bar: 0
MA Trigger: 12
MA Method: 1
SL & TP: 1:1 ratio
30 pip SL & 30 TP: eur/gbp
40 pip SL & 40 TP: eur/usd, aud/usd, usd/chf, usd/cad, usd/jpy
50 pip SL & 50 TP: gbp/usd, gbp/chf, eur/jpy
60 pip SL & 60 TP: gbp/jpy
Trading Direction: Long & Short

Total Trades: 105
Won: 45
Loss: 60
Percent of trades won: 43%
Pip Total: -1520

Now, for the Cornflower EA results using different settings and a different broker platform (listed below):

Broker: Interbank
Timeframe: 1 hour
Trading time: All of the UK Session (3:00am est – 12pm est) (this also includes the 1st half of the U.S. session)
# of currencies: 12
Bar: 0
MA Trigger: 6
MA Method: 1
SL & TP: 1:1 ratio + 10 pips
30 SL & 40 TP: eur/gbp
50 SL & 60 TP: eur/usd, aud/usd, nzd/usd, usd/cad, usd/jpy, aud/jpy, chf/jpy
60 SL & 70 TP: gbp/usd, gbp/chf, eur/jpy
70 SL & 80 TP: gbp/jpy
Trading Direction: Long & Short

Total Trades: 119
Won: 45
Loss: 74
Percent of trades won: 38%
Pip Total: -1110

I will comment about my results for the past month in my next post below, and I will also talk about a change I will be making.


Topgun

One month ago, on April 14th, I began trading the Cornflower EA using the settings shown in my previous post. By looking at the results, it is obvious they were not what I had hoped for. The EA for the MIG platform (1:1 ratio) had a negative total of -1710 pips for that one month time period. And the Interbank platform (1:1 ratio + 10 pips) totaled -1730 pips.

I think there are various reasons why my results have been negative. One problem could be that my settings may not be the best settings to use. This is why we have to test different SL's & TP's, different trigger ma's, etc. Another problem is that I have noticed there are times when a trade should have triggered, but, for some reason, it doesn't trigger. I have lost several winning trades because of this. HOWEVER, I can't say for sure if it is primarily the fault of the EA or if it is because my demo platforms sometimes "disconnect" for periods of time and therefore they miss some trades. This is what I have noticed about my various trading platforms -- they sometimes disconnect for periods of time. But then again, there are times in which the price is far away from the trigger MA, but for some reason the trade is made anyway, even though the price han't touched the trigger MA. It doesn't happen all the time, but it does happen sometimes. And this has me curious if the EA is working 100% correctly or not.

Whatever the case, I have decided - for now at least - to trade just 1 Cornflower EA instead of two. As everyone can see from my settings in my postings of my results, I had been trading both long and short. Despite my trading in both directions, I have always thought the best way to use the Cornflower system is to trade only in the direction of the trend. I believe this is the best way to trade the Cornflower regardless if one is trading manually or with an EA. So therefore, starting tomorrow, I will be using the EA by trading only in the direction of the 200 ema of the Daily, 4 hr, and 1 hr timeframes. When the 200 ema agrees on a currency in all 3 of these timeframes, then I will activate the EA to trade only in that direction for that currency. I will turn off the EA for a currency whenever the 200 MA is not agreeing in any of those 3 timeframes. The trigger I will be using will be the 6 ema. I will be using a 2:1 risk-reward ratio, trading 10 different currencies. I will have the EA running 24 hrs around the clock.

I have recently found a job after being off work for one and a half years (thank god!), and therefore there will be times when I won't be at home to activate or de-activate a currency pair. I also will not be able to take the necessary action for a currency during the times that I am asleep. So, during the times when I am asleep or at work (or both ), then I will not be able to immediately turn on or turn off the EA for a currency when my rules say to do so. In these instances, I will just have to wait until I am in front of my computer, and then I will take the necessary action. So, for this reason, realize there will be times when I will not be able to take EVERY signal, as required by my rules.

We will see how it goes with my new settings and trading with the trend. By the way, there are many definitions as to what constitutes a "trend." I have decided to make it very simple and just trade in the direction of the 200 ema (using the 3 timeframes I mentioned earlier in this post). Now that I have a job, I can't guarantee how much longer I will be testing this EA. This is because my new way of using this EA requires me to monitor the currencies whenever I can. And my job will obviously be a factor in how much time I can or cannot devote to monitoring this - or any other - EA ... or about any trading system, for that matter. Well, unless it is some system using the Daily or Weekly chart for entries, then it becomes easier to trade.

As I said, we will see how everything goes with the new rules & settings I am using, before I make any further decisions about anything.


Topgun

Here are last week's trading results (May 16, 2010 - May 21, 2010).

Broker: Interbank
Timeframe: 1 hour
Trading time: 24 hrs a day
# of currencies: 10
Bar: 0
MA Trigger: 6
MA Method: 1
SL & TP: 2:1 ratio
40 pip SL & 80 TP: eur/usd, usd/jpy, usd/cad, aud,usd, nzd,usd, aud/jpy, chf/jpy
50 pip SL & 100 TP: gbp/usd, eur/jpy
60 pip SL & 120 TP: gbp/jpy
Trading Direction: In the direction of trend. Trading when the 200 ema closes above/below below the Daily, 4 hr, and 1 hr timeframes

Total Trades: 181
Won: 56
Loss: 125
Percent of trades won: 31%
Pip Total: -730


I have not had much success of late with the Cornflower EA. Again, I believe the lack of success is because of all the reasons I have mentioned in my previous post (the post above). As I said before, I am not totally sure if the EA is working 100% correctly all of the time. At times it will take trades when the moving averages are not lined up correctly. Other times it will take a trade far away from my trigger MA. And sometimes my demo platform will lose connectivity for periods of times and not be able to make trades for that time period. Also, I am working full-time and cannot monitor the EA as much as I would like. As I mentioned previously I have to monitor the trades to make sure the trades are in line with the criteria I am using.

So, for all these reasons mentioned above, I have decided to stop trading the Cornflower EA. In fact, after 6 years of forex trading, I am considering giving up trading altogether. I have devoted a lot of time to trading and I haven't been able to make trading work for me. I have now come to believe in the well known statistic that "95% of all traders fail at trading". I guess you can count me as one of the "95%".

Postrock, I thank you for taking the time and effort to make this EA. I still like the Cornflower system, but maybe it just won't work as an EA. I think probably the best way to trade the Cornflower system is to trade it manually. If I decide to continue trading, then that is the way I will trade. I may just trade the Cornflower using the 4 hr charts (trading manually). Trading the 4 hr timeframe would free up more of my time and I won't have to constantly be in front of my computer. As for this EA, I'd still like to see others give it a try using different settings than I have used. Whatever the case, thank you to all of those that have followed this thread.


Topgun

You may want to do your homework before posting systems that eventually don't work out.

Hint:

Total Trades: 119
Won: 45
Loss: 74
Percent of trades won: 38%
Pip Total: -1110

Most traders would have quit at this point and you continued to trade and lose even more money.

When you see a new EA...test it out first, kick the tires and let it run for a few weeks before introducing something that doesn't work to the forum.