My standard run at this time is 120 minutes using 50,000 bars. When the thing is done I have a look at the overview and make some adjustments and restart.

The generator is programmed to seek viable combinations and because there is a great selection of indicators it has to be allowed a lot of time to do its work.

Because the generator uses some sort of randomizer as it selects criteria....... we have to re run the same initial criteria many times to get the mix that will give a good result.

I feel that by imposing too much on the generator, initially, will impair its function.

the problem this concept is delay times when script or tools  try to copy and reverse to another account .

it's possible  to reverse  feature on FST? 

test R/R = 1:1

The idea is simple if strategy constantly loosing from 50pips and more in one trade and it is stable you can just reverse the signals by copping orders from Demo to live.
So when Trade opens on Demo account it is placed on Live account but opposite direction, when it closes on demo (SL/TP or just logic) it is closed on live.
I have ran this in past but I prefer straight forward and simple approach :-)

Hope it helps.

At first I make a spread a bit larget than it actually is e.g. EURGBP spread is 2 pip, but I make is 2,5 or 3 pip.

The second parameter I use is slippage - I always use slippage up to 1-1,5 pips in my backtesting.

In this way I try to avoid "too good to be true" backtesting results. Take a single profitable strategy and change slippage and spread and you'll see quite a different and unexpected results.

so it looks like in order for the reverse positions strategy to work you need to adjust your open price to account for the spread i.e. if you are given a long entry signal at bid 1.2345 the actual open price with a 2 pip spread will be ask 1.2347, in order for the strategy to work you need to enter a short position at bid 1.2343 i.e. ask 1.2345. now im not sure how i can set up this in fsb so ill be manually backtesting this from this week to see 1. if it is still profitable and 2. whether or not the new entry point is in fact hit. when i have some results i will post them on here.

i will also try the reverse signals option you guys mentioned earlier.

I would definitely like to be involved, so please send me a PM or email (foolforforex@gmail.com) when the time comes, and what the process would be. I understand the intellectual property aspects, maybe certain stand alone sections can be made available, or the UI without the engine, or perhaps the engine but then only the dll's which can be obfuscated.

Lastly, do you think there is a possibility Popov will make the original spreadsheet (that initiated the FSB project) available to interested members ? I have made my own (spent like 200 hours creating and testing already) which I actually use more than FSB for more extensive testing (since it is MUCH more flexible, but FSB very usefull to give optimization param values then used in sheet) but it is becoming extremely slow and since the formula's for keeping track and calculating the outcomes / floats / equity / balance and drawdowns is so complicated, it is starting to become unmanageable. Therefore it would be very interesting to see what he has done and to what extent. (I can't get multiple positions to work, not even sure if it is possible with Excel without using macro's) Everything done so far is pure excel formula's, but can only handle one position at a time until it closes depending on the closing conditions)

Please let me know your thoughts on the Google Wave and the open source strategy generator / optimizer if you know of one, or to whom I might be able to discuss possible involvement of future development of FSB, if Popov the original programmer ?

Regarding the nano lots, yes, it is definitely the better option over a demo account.
However, I have some standard accounts though, and main reason was to get the sign up bonuses, so I play the minimum lots to test some strategies and manage to stay alive long enough to get the required volume to earn my bonuses in cash. So it is a completely "unconventional strategy" I suppose, but at least I have made more money that way than any "normal strategy" have done for me. Especially towards the end of the year, many brokers offer a 100% first deposit bonus. I realize I can not ride this wave forever, but luckily there are so many of them, and they seems to pop up like mushrooms, so I think I can probably go on like this for at least another year (hopefully I will find something more sustainable by then)

Closed section would be nice, but in the meanwhile if you really have the need to or think it would be more beneficial for the members who want to contribute by putting in some real hours, then perhaps one can create a Google Wave for it, and "invite" certain members depending on what they can bring to the table. However, I don't mind sharing all experience on this forum since we all have similar interests and no information regarding successful strategies shared will ever make a difference to what happens in the market. Only the BIG players (like banks and governments) have the "limited" ability to influence the price. FX traders merely "play" against the brokers , and it will take one extremely successful strategy posted on a forum, if thousands of traders implement it exactly to the specifications, many many months if ever, before brokers might change the rules if their profitability becomes endangered. (I know you probably know this, I am just giving my opinion towards the guy that said a good strategy might compromise the whole system)
Anyway, but since the interaction in a forum is very limited, a Google Wave might be ideal for working together on a specific project where each member contributes towards a potentially successful strategy. Only reason I prefer the "invitation" process is that too many people on the same project will actually cause it to not be successful, since then you would have to start managing people, instead of focusing on the project and tasks at hand. I have managed projects for many years, don't need to do another (especially if people are all over the world and most of them don't even know each other)

BTW, did Popov write the FSB ? Just wondering, cos I need to know who to speak to regarding features and future development, cos FSB is cool, but it can be improved in so many ways, so I was wondering if there aren't perhaps an open source version, or a different software package all together, where one has access to the code. I am aware of the "Feature Request" section, it's just that I have so many, that by the time anyone decide to implement them, I could have probably coded it myself already.

Anyway, your thoughts... ?

Strategies fall under Footon: All my potentially profitable strategies take all the typical measures of success into account, those that fail even one condition is not even considered for the final back testing phase.

Tested on Demo account: None, I don't waste my time with demo accounts, cos they are not similar to live accounts. If a strategy seems reasonably worthwhile based on accurate data used in back testing, then I go live almost the next day, and test for a couple of weeks. If it does not produce a positive equity curve within a month, I scrap the strategy and go back to the drawing board. I have about 4 live accounts at different brokers and run 1 to 3 strategies at each. Overall, the account balances are slightly above or below my original deposit amounts. Forward testing on demo account takes way too long and the temptation to manually interfere is way too much. If back testing over lots of different time horizons and various instruments prove ok, then it's actually better than forward testing on a demo account.

On live nano account: Don't have nano account, all my accounts (mentioned above) are standard accounts with starting balances of $1000.

No need to help me with "how to evaluate" a profitable strategy. I know how to evaluate a strategy, hence my frustration towards not being able to find one (that meets MY criteria), and so far no one have seemed to be able to produce something reasonable (that works in Live environment for more than a year)

If you can provide this information we might help you.