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AmazingEA: Automated Straddle Trading Expert Advisor

  • #181
  • Sep 22, 2016 7:17am Sep 22, 2016 7:17am
Version 9.02 Released

21 September 2016
Version 9.02 Modified by Alan Prothero
Fixed a bug when changing ReadSettings from True to False where the Currency Pair for Trading is not updated to the current chart
Fixed a bug where the Lot calculation displayed 0.00000001 above the correct number of Lots
Added a check on Max Lots
Changed default of ReadSettings to False

I've moved the spreadsheet into a separate download and changed default of ReadSettings to False.

NEW USERS: Please try the EA without using the spreadsheet as it is much easier to learn
  • #182
  • Edited 10:47am Sep 22, 2016 10:35am | Edited 10:47am
Quoting Alan111S
Version 9.02 Released 21 September 2016 Version 9.02 Modified by Alan Prothero Fixed a bug when changing ReadSettings from True to False where the Currency Pair for Trading is not updated to the current chart Fixed a bug where the Lot calculation displayed 0.00000001 above the correct number of Lots Added a check on Max Lots Changed default of ReadSettings to False I've moved the spreadsheet into a separate download and changed default of ReadSettings to False. NEW USERS: Please try the EA without using the spreadsheet as it is much easier to learn...
Hey Alan

Prob stupid question for you but do you need a VPS to be able put in which events you will look to straddle and then leave the computer off and let it do its thing for the week?

Apologies been manually trading all my life so no idea how auto trading works
  • #183
  • Sep 22, 2016 9:46pm Sep 22, 2016 9:46pm
Quoting bulltrader13
{quote} Hey Alan Prob stupid question for you but do you need a VPS to be able put in which events you will look to straddle and then leave the computer off and let it do its thing for the week? Apologies been manually trading all my life so no idea how auto trading works
Hey, no such thing as a stupid question. One of the reasons I keep helping people who haven't necessarily bought the EA is that it helps me improve it and learn what others want.

To answer it, the EA has to run constantly to update with whatever events are coming up, so whether you run it on a VPS or home PC is upto you. The important thing is:-

1) Home PCs (especially Windows 10) install updates automatically so you need to ensure the Metatrader Terminal starts up again after an update or a crash but VPS PCs can be configured to stay up constantly.

2) The strategy uses Pending Orders so the speed of connection doesn't really matter so it doesn't need a cross-connect or anything. However, I know one user who is running the EA on all 26 or 28 charts at once (1 per chart) and has configured it to trade 7 pairs for each event. In this case the Modification of so many orders (14) would be faster using a Cross connect. ( A cross-connect is where the VPS PC is colocated where the broker's server is and also has a dedicated network link to the brokers server, meaning it doesn't need to converse via the internet )

3) A very important note though is that if you use a Home PC (or VPS for that matter) it is advisable to install a utility called Net Time Sync Tool (www.timesynctool.com) and change the update interval to 15 minutes (lowest setting). This ensures that the clock remains super accurate.

Alan
  • #184
  • Sep 23, 2016 2:26am Sep 23, 2016 2:26am
I finally got a handle on this EA, and it is Amazing indeed! Best tool for straddle trading I have come across so far
I stopped experimenting (almost) and focused on a thorough pre-release analysis of each event and fine tuning the settings, a week or two more with the manual version and I should be ready to move to the automated one
Thanks Alan, great job!
  • #185
  • Sep 23, 2016 2:32am Sep 23, 2016 2:32am
Quoting Alan111S
{quote} Hey, no such thing as a stupid question. One of the reasons I keep helping people who haven't necessarily bought the EA is that it helps me improve it and learn what others want. To answer it, the EA has to run constantly to update with whatever events are coming up, so whether you run it on a VPS or home PC is upto you. The important thing is:- 1) Home PCs (especially Windows 10) install updates automatically so you need to ensure the Metatrader Terminal starts up again after an update or a crash but VPS PCs can be configured to stay up...
Thanks for your response Alan. I'm off to Spain for coulpe weeks and when I'm back I'm definitely keen to try it out!
  • #186
  • Edited 9:21am Sep 23, 2016 9:02am | Edited 9:21am
Guys, is it normal for a broker to open your pending order 300 points away from where it was placed? I am experiencing this almost on every release, is it just me or is it general practice? I believe it is too much for just slippage
  • #187
  • Sep 23, 2016 9:38am Sep 23, 2016 9:38am
Quoting wizardaram8
Guys, is it normal for a broker to open your pending order 300 points away from where it was placed? I am experiencing this almost on every release, is it just me or is it general practice? I believe it is too much for just slippage
Spread increase maybe ?

Do you have ask and bid price lines visible on your chart ?
  • #188
  • Sep 23, 2016 9:40am Sep 23, 2016 9:40am
Quoting radking
{quote} Spread increase maybe ?
Nah, it was 2.2 pips
Yes
  • #189
  • Sep 23, 2016 6:50pm Sep 23, 2016 6:50pm
Hey Wizardaram8,
Mine was 18 points (1.8 pips) if I count from the close on the GBPCAD from last night on my Pepperstone DEMO. I have just checked the results on the calendar and I can see why the big move, its the sort of news you look for.

I think if you hear from Alan I suspect it may be a bit of slippage.

What settings do you have for modifying your pending orders before the news.

Cheers

Greg
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  • #190
  • Sep 24, 2016 12:31am Sep 24, 2016 12:31am
Quoting crootster
Hey Wizardaram8, Mine was 18 points (1.8 pips) if I count from the close on the GBPCAD from last night on my Pepperstone DEMO. I have just checked the results on the calendar and I can see why the big move, its the sort of news you look for. I think if you hear from Alan I suspect it may be a bit of slippage. What settings do you have for modifying your pending orders before the news. Cheers Greg {image} {image} {image}
Hi Greg

I use default settings for modifying, except for when setting narrow PointsAway I respectively use lower than 10 ModifyGap.

Well, I think this is one of those things you never experience on demo with slippage:
1. Absolutely zero positive slippage on buy/sell stop orders, it just opens miles away from where you placed it
2. Huge negative slippages on stop-loss
  • #191
  • Sep 24, 2016 6:51pm Sep 24, 2016 6:51pm
Quoting wizardaram8
{quote} Hi Greg I use default settings for modifying, except for when setting narrow PointsAway I respectively use lower than 10 ModifyGap. Well, I think this is one of those things you never experience on demo with slippage: 1. Absolutely zero positive slippage on buy/sell stop orders, it just opens miles away from where you placed it 2. Huge negative slippages on stop-loss
1) Have you looked at / investigated the AmazingEA-Ticks file saved on your PC? If you are concerned about slippage you will get invaluable information from it

2) There is a difference between Price Gaps and Slippage. When a News event comes out Price can jump (or gap). This doesn't help strategies that use Pending Orders. But when the order goes live there may be a lack of liquidity at the gapped price and the order won't open until liquidity is available at a further away price. This is true slippage. By looking at the Ticks file and comparing what happened during your trades, you can check whether it is a Gap or Slippage.

My demo account on AxiTrader frequently experiences Price Gaps and Slippage even on a Demo Account.

In my experience even when there is Slippage it is usually a 'big' move and one can still make money but you may have to keep your trade open longer.

For example trading USDCAD on Friday night CAD CPI and Retail Sales, I banked around 86 pips.

Ticks File:-
2016.09.23 22:30:00, USDCAD, 1.30337, 1.30367, 30
2016.09.23 22:30:00, USDCAD, 1.30337, 1.30370, 33
2016.09.23 22:30:00, USDCAD, 1.30358, 1.30381, 23
2016.09.23 22:30:00, USDCAD, 1.30415, 1.30522, 107
2016.09.23 22:30:01, USDCAD, 1.30806, 1.30873, 67

Metatrader Log
0 22:29:58.891 '20267196': pending order #39127612 buy stop 1.75 USDCAD was modified -> price: 1.30457 sl: 1.30129 tp: 1.31457
0 22:30:00.496 '20267196': order #39127612 buy stop 1.75 USDCAD at 1.30457 activated at price 1.30522

If my trade hadn't opened at 1.30522 it would have been 1.30873, so it is luck whether you get opened before or after the Gap
  • #192
  • Edited 3:54am Sep 25, 2016 1:50am | Edited 3:54am
Quoting Alan111S
{quote} 2) There is a difference between Price Gaps and Slippage.
Alan, thank you once again for your thorough explanation, especially for No 2

Ticks

2016.09.23, 15:29:59, USDCAD, 1.30347, 1.30366, 19
2016.09.23, 15:30:00, USDCAD, 1.3034, 1.30369, 29
2016.09.23, 15:30:06, USDCAD, 1.30488, 1.30606, 118
2016.09.23, 15:30:11, USDCAD, 1.30893, 1.30908, 15
2016.09.23, 15:30:12, USDCAD, 1.30893, 1.30902, 9

Log

0 15:30:02.118 '28510': delete pending order #4139295 buy stop 0.50 USDCAD.1 at 1.30428 sl: 1.30351 tp: 0.00000
0 15:30:02.243 '28510': order #4139295 buy stop 0.50 USDCAD.1 at 1.30428 activated at price 1.30705
1 15:30:02.368 '28510': deleting of pending order #4139295 buy 0.50 USDCAD.1 at 1.30705 sl: 1.30351 tp: 0.00000 failed [Invalid parameters]

So I guess I chose a funny broker, time to move to another. Also, I obviously wasn't trying to delete anything

Update: Sorry, checked the EA log, it wasn't my broker, it just exceeded MaxSpread so that's why EA tried to delete it, but it was already opened
Now I understand that the price was 1.30606 and the actual slippage was 10 pips
  • #193
  • Sep 25, 2016 3:03am Sep 25, 2016 3:03am
Quoting Alan111S
you can check whether it is a Gap or Slippage
"Gap or Slippage": interesting and sophisticated difference. But, let's call it with its real name: trick. Or fraud, scam? Choose you. People should focus on something more simple than it appears, while talking about retail Forex market: brokers will not loose.

Talking about difference between "Gap and Slippage" is also sophistic, quibbling. Who does create the Gap? The broker or the market? I am sure the first one.
Who does make the Slippage? The Broker.

So, we are going to discuss about if the Broker is guilty to distort the feed with "knife" or "gun". It killed (and kills) the reality anyway. So, it's guilty without doubt (it's not so important using which weapon).

The evidence is attached below: some very well registered ticks from 4 different brokers on USD/CAD at 12:30 UTC last Friday.
Those ticks demonstrate that the Gap is present and it is fake, because it's impossible to have so few ticks before and during the news: who does make the price, the Holy Spirit?

My conclusion: if you want trading the news, stay away from retail Forex (also called Forex baby).
Attached File(s)
File Type: zip 4_brokers.zip   212 KB | 431 downloads
  • #194
  • Edited 3:59am Sep 25, 2016 3:33am | Edited 3:59am
Quoting achab
{quote} registered ticks from 4 different brokers on USD/CAD at 12:30 UTC last Friday. {file}
Thanks achab, very informative. Are those demo accounts?
And I was wondering what was going on with my trades, the Ticks file is an eye-opener indeed.

On a different note, what's the alternative to retail forex? Are you saying that the only way to survive is to trade through a broker that is both retail and institutional? (e.g. say Interactive Brokers) But minimum deposits are huge with those... Or did you mean something else?

PS

I was told that 'best execution rules' apply only to market orders (which pending orders are not), so it means that it is the broker's server which decides when to make your order a market order, and only after that the broker executes it at the next available price. You see what's going on? The broker chooses the next available "best" price at its own discretion! This is called daylight robbery
  • #195
  • Sep 25, 2016 6:14am Sep 25, 2016 6:14am
Quoting wizardaram8
Thanks achab, very informative.
You are welcome.

Quoting wizardaram8
Are those demo accounts?
No, they are not: I use only real accounts.

Quoting wizardaram8
And I was wondering what was going on with my trades, the Ticks file is an eye-opener indeed.
I am glad I can help people.

Quoting wizardaram8
On a different note, what's the alternative to retail forex? Are you saying that the only way to survive is to trade through a broker that is both retail and institutional? (e.g. say Interactive Brokers) But minimum deposits are huge with those... Or did you mean something else?
I already studying alternatives. It's a complete different world, for people with a lot of money (not less than 250.000 USD). Let me continue searching, maybe I will be able to find something approachable.

Quoting wizardaram8
PS I was told that 'best execution rules' apply only to market orders (which pending orders are not), so it means that it is the broker's server which decides when to make your order a market order, and only after that the broker executes it at the next available price. You see what's going on? The broker chooses the next available "best" price at its own discretion! This is called daylight robbery
I 100% agree.

If we don't do something, if we will continue to wonder when something goes wrong, if we do not get indignant, we will continue to be badly treated as cows to squeeze.
  • #196
  • Oct 5, 2016 8:34pm Oct 5, 2016 8:34pm
Quoting wizardaram8
{quote} Alan, thank you once again for your thorough explanation, especially for No 2 Ticks 2016.09.23, 15:29:59, USDCAD, 1.30347, 1.30366, 19 2016.09.23, 15:30:00, USDCAD, 1.3034, 1.30369, 29 2016.09.23, 15:30:06, USDCAD, 1.30488, 1.30606, 118 2016.09.23, 15:30:11, USDCAD, 1.30893, 1.30908, 15 2016.09.23, 15:30:12, USDCAD, 1.30893, 1.30902, 9 Log 0 15:30:02.118 '28510': delete pending order #4139295 buy stop 0.50 USDCAD.1 at 1.30428 sl: 1.30351 tp: 0.00000 0 15:30:02.243 '28510': order #4139295 buy stop 0.50 USDCAD.1 at 1.30428 activated at price...
Sorry for the late reply but I just noticed this:-
2016.09.23, 15:29:59, USDCAD, 1.30347, 1.30366, 19
2016.09.23, 15:30:00, USDCAD, 1.3034, 1.30369, 29
2016.09.23, 15:30:06, USDCAD, 1.30488, 1.30606, 118

You see how there is a 6 second gap between the news tick and the following tick. This is a typical broker trick where the broker 'freezes' the price feed and sets the spread high. They can do this in 2 different ways - 1) use a plug-in to the MT4 Server that does this artificially. 2) connect to a liquidity provider that has little or no liquidity during news events.

The Invalid parameters error was because the EA tried to delete the Pending Order but in the same split second (15:30:02) it was activated. One thing that is interesting is that the EA only ever used to run when price ticks were received but a couple of versions ago, I added a timer to run it every 50ms as well. In this specific case, that didn't help but it does mean that the EA can deal with frozen price feeds generally.

If this 'freezing' happened a few times, I would move brokers.
  • #197
  • Oct 6, 2016 1:47am Oct 6, 2016 1:47am
Quoting Alan111S
If this 'freezing' happened a few times, I would move brokers.
It means that, in the while, people looses money. So, we can change the broker and, why not, the account type, hoping the new one will work. But it will not. So, let's continue to lose money and time and change again. And again...

Alan,
I am not against your robot, really. I am trying to make people understand that brokers spend hundreds of thousands of US Dollars to be into the Forex market and are very ready to face who tries to gain spending 199 USD, using straddle strategy or scalping or so. It's David against Goliath, but here there is not the "happy ending", unfortunately.
IMHO.
  • #198
  • Oct 6, 2016 4:16am Oct 6, 2016 4:16am
Quoting achab
{quote} It means that, in the while, people looses money. So, we can change the broker and, why not, the account type, hoping the new one will work. But it will not. So, let's continue to lose money and time and change again. And again... Alan, I am not against your robot, really. I am trying to make people understand that brokers spend hundreds of thousands of US Dollars to be into the Forex market and are very ready to face who tries to gain spending 199 USD, using straddle strategy or scalping or so. It's David against Goliath, but here there...
And what is your advice exactly, pal? 
MAKE SURE you still can TRADE tomorrow
  • #199
  • Oct 6, 2016 4:44am Oct 6, 2016 4:44am
Quoting senanata
{quote} And what is your advice exactly, pal?Â
"pal? " ??
I got this strange word, can you rewrite it before my answer, please?
  • #200
  • Oct 6, 2016 4:54am Oct 6, 2016 4:54am
Quoting Alan111S
You see how there is a 6 second gap between the news tick and the following tick. This is a typical broker trick where the broker 'freezes' the price feed and sets the spread high. They can do this in 2 different ways - 1) use a plug-in to the MT4 Server that does this artificially. 2) connect to a liquidity provider that has little or no liquidity during news events.

The Invalid parameters error was because the EA tried to delete the Pending Order but in the same split second (15:30:02) it was activated. One thing that is interesting is that...

Hello Alan,

"senanata" asked me "what is my advice", but I am no one here, you are the EA producer and seller. So, I ask you: if also the second broker will use "a typical broker trick" or another one (choose you) that avoids positive performances and/or some gains, what is your advice exactly?

Best regards.
/achab
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