DislikedTradestar1, you are not trading this method, right? still backtesting it? You changed the SL parameters this year to optimize the results.
In this way, you can't find the working strategy!
In Oct, 2011, you optimized the SL parameter to 1*ATR(20) for the period from Jan,2011 to Oct 2011. So,you got a very good result in that period. But the forward test result was not good (Nov, 2011 to Dec, 2011). And in this year, you show us another optimized results for the period from Jan 2012 to Sep 2012 in post 32, with different SL parameters (1.5*ATR(20),...Ignored
Any way regarding the SLs,,,, as a rule the more room you can give the market to breath the better your results will be, and yes there are exceptions to every rule.... Over all I have used the 100 pip SL for the EUR/USD.
So here we are stats for the year so far......
YTD stats and trades 5,5 with 100 pip SL part 1
YTD stats and trades 5,5 with 100 pip SL part 2
YTD stats 10,10 with 100 pip SL
10,10 trades
These systems are the results and minor modifications of over 7 years of testing, Backward and forward .... There have been losing months but so far never a losing year, which is not to say there won't be one, it just hasn't happened yet.
With that said keep this thought in mind As a friend of mine says .."Your biggest drawdown is in front of you"
Happy trading