1 (edited by steos 2009-03-03 20:40:41)

Topic: Help needed!!

Congratulations for your software. It is really great and helpful. Keep up the outsatnding work!

I have some questions regarding how to build a strategy

1. Once I build a strategy and see the results it shows that the total executed trades is much higher than winning and losing trades together. Why is that?

2. Is there a way we could include GBP/JPY pair? Probably it is easy since there is already GBP/USD and USD/JPY.

3. How can I build the below rading technique I use:

When a Heikin Ashi bar breaks and closes above/below SAR I will enter the trade on the next heikin ashi bar as long as it has made a higher high vs the one that broke SAR.

Re: Help needed!!

Hello steos,

1. ...the total executed trades is much higher than winning and losing trades together...

It seams there are many positions closed at a break-even price.
(Opening and Closing are counted as two separate trades.)


2. Is there a way we could include GBP/JPY pair?

You can add new symbols from Menu Market -> Edit Instruments. 

3. When a Heikin Ashi bar breaks and closes above/below SAR...

Forex Strategy Builder doesn't have functions to compare / trace Heikin Ashi bars. It detects the color and shadow of a HA bar only. So you can use HA as an additional filter to your strategy.

Re: Help needed!!

Thanks for the prompt reply.

What about simple candlestick instead of heikin ashi? Can I build that strategy by using candlesticks?

Re: Help needed!!

http://forexsb.com/img1/psar-breakout-new-high.png

A same direction signal - Does nothing
An opposite direction signal - Does nothing
Permanent Stop Loss - None

[Opening Point of the Position]
Previous High Low
     Enter long at the previous high
     Base price  -  High and Low
     Vertical shift  -  2

[Opening Logic Condition]
Heiken Ashi
     White H.A. bar without lower shadow
     Base price  -  High, Low, Open, Close
     Use previous bar value  -  Yes

[Closing Point of the Position]
Parabolic SAR
     Exit the market at PSAR
     Starting AF  -  0.02
     Increment  -  0.02
     Maximum AF  -  2

Re: Help needed!!

Thanks a lot for the help....It seems though strange closing at PSAR. I will need some time to go through this.

Re: Help needed!!

It seems though strange closing at PSAR.

This image does not show closing at PSAR.  Simply there is no position to close.

Current long position will be closed at the next PSAR crossing (not shown).

PSAR determines the direction of the position we can open. In this example before the breakout bar - only short entry is available and respectively - when market crosses above PSAR - only long entry is possible. 

When a Heikin Ashi bar breaks and closes above/below SAR I will enter the trade on the next heikin ashi bar as long as it has made a higher high vs the one that broke SAR.

The shown strategy is almost what you want:

Long Entry:
1. The bar breaks above PSAR; and
2. Next bar makes new high - higher than the breakout bar;
3. The break out bar is an white HA bar without lower shadow.
4. Enter 2 pips above the high of the breakout bar;
5. Close at PSAR


Short  Entry:
1. The bar breaks belowPSAR; and
2. Next bar makes new low - lower than the breakout bar;
3. The break out bar is a black HA bar without upper shadow.
4. Enter 2 pips below the low of the breakout bar;
5. Close at PSAR

Re: Help needed!!

Thanks for the clarification...

The thing is that I dont want to close my position at PSAR. My startegy is once the bar breaks PSAR I set a SL at 5 pips below the low of the candle that broke previous PSAR. TP is 2X my SL since I want to keep a 2:1 Reward risk ratio. Is it possible to build that in the software?

Re: Help needed!!

1. Since you don't want to close at PSAR - move it to an Open Logic Condition Slot. It will be only an entry filter there.
2. You can set exit 2 pips below the previous low but using it you cannot set proper take profit. The nearest solution is to use Stop Limit. It sets a Take Profit and a Stop Loss levels. The average High - Low of the chosen time frame is shown in the market statistics. It is 110pips for EURUSD. So we can set SL = -110 pips and TP = 220 pips.


A same direction signal - Does nothing
An opposite direction signal - Does nothing
Permanent Stop Loss - None

[Opening Point of the Position]
Previous High Low
     Enter long at the previous high
     Base price  -  High and Low
     Vertical shift  -  2

[Opening Logic Condition]
Heiken Ashi
     White H.A. bar without lower shadow
     Base price  -  High, Low, Open, Close
     Use previous bar value  -  Yes

[Opening Logic Condition]
Parabolic SAR
     The price is higher than the PSAR value
     Starting AF  -  0.02
     Increment  -  0.02
     Maximum AF  -  2

[Closing Point of the Position]
Stop Limit
     Exit at the Stop Loss or the Take Profit level
     Stop Loss  -  -110
     Take Profit  -  220


-------------
Edit:

Ops. This strategy does not open only when the market breaks out the PSAR. It opens long above PSAR abnd short below PSAR every time when the other conditions are true. sad

Re: Help needed!!

Thanks Popov once again. The more I work with your software the more I find it better and better.
I have a couple of questions
1. The condition ENTRY TIME refers to GMT time? So 22 means 22:00 GMT?
2. I have tried to export GBPJPY.csv from Metatrader4 to FSB. In the beginning it seemed OK since I didnt get any error message. However when I build different strategies it seems that it does not get any result when selecting the GBPJPY pair. IS there something wrong?

Re: Help needed!!

Hello steos,

1. The condition ENTRY TIME refers to GMT time? So 22 means 22:00 GMT?

ENTRY TIME as well as the other time functions take time of the bar opening. So if your data refers to GMT the ENTRY TIME condition will be to GMT also.

2. I have tried to export GBPJPY.csv from Metatrader4 to FSB. In the beginning it seemed OK since I didnt get any error message. However when I build different strategies it seems that it does not get any result when selecting the GBPJPY pair. IS there something wrong?

If you see statistics for GBPJPY below the symbols / period drop down menus it means that the data file is properly loaded. I cannot point specific reason for a strategy to give results for USDJPY for example but not to give results for GBPJPY. If you think that there is a bug please send me the strategy's xml file, the instruments.xml file and your GBPJPY data file to our email info@forexsb.com.

Re: Help needed!!

1. ENTRY TIME as well as the other time functions take time of the bar opening. So if your data refers to GMT the ENTRY TIME condition will be to GMT also.

What do you mean by my data? My system clock is set to GMT+2. This means that if I select 23 in ENTRY TIME it will by 23 according to my system?

2. If you see statistics for GBPJPY below the symbols / period drop down menus it means that the data file is properly loaded. I cannot point specific reason for a strategy to give results for USDJPY for example but not to give results for GBPJPY...

I see statistics and it seems that data was properly loaded. I will send you the files for you to check. Thanks

Re: Help needed!!

steos wrote:

What do you mean by my data? My system clock is set to GMT+2. This means that if I select 23 in ENTRY TIME it will by 23 according to my system?

Yes, exactly. To be sure point the cursor to the last bar closing price in MT and compare the shown time to your system clock. If you export that data to FSB it will use the same time. That will be your current time zone GMT+2.

Re: Help needed!!

Hello Steos,
When you trade GBPJPY the trading result of your deals is in JPY. I assume that your account is in USD.  As you see Forex Strategy Builder needs an exchange rate to calculate the trading result (JPY) in USD. That rate is called “Account exchange rate”. In this case it should be USD to JPY. You have to set the exchange rate in the “Instrument Editor” when you add new instruments. At the moment USDJPY is 98.00 so you can use this value. Of course you can set another value for example the average USDJPY price for the period of testing.

The default value of “Account exchange rate” is 1.00. The same parameter is used when the program calculates the Margin. If you leave it equal to 1.00 instead of 98.00 (in the GBPJPY case) Forex Strategy Builder will calculate 98 times higher Required Margin than the real one and will give you a Margin Call after the first executed trade.

“Account exchange rate” has to be set when you create a new symbol by the “Instrument Editor” or when you change your account currency in the “Account Settings” dialog.

Re: Help needed!!

Ok, so basically this account exchange rate is used when the traded currency is different from my account currency. Is that right? But isn't that the case in most trades? Do I need to set that value every time the traded currency and my account currency are different?

Re: Help needed!!

When you trade forex the trading couple consists of two currencies – so called base and quoted currency. The trading result is always in the quote. In order to convert the trading result to your account Forex Strategy Builder uses the “Account exchange rate”.
Let see these three cases:

   1.    Your account is in the quoted currency: Trading couple EURUSD and account in USD - here the profit / loss is in USD which is our account currency. No further exchange is needed.
   2.    Your account is in the base currency: Trading couple USDCHF and account in USD – here the trading result is in CHF. When you close a position, let say at 1.44, Forex Strategy Builder uses that deal price to calculate your profit to USD.
   3.    Your account is neither the base nor the quoted currency: Trading couple USDJPY and account in EUR – here the trading result is in JPY. In this case there is no exchange rate from JPY to EUR and you need to manually set the rate.  So you go to “Account Settings” and put the desired value – EURJPY in this particular case.

Usually you don’t have to worry about that as the default currency pairs in Forex Strategy Builder include USD and your account is in USD by default. You will need to manually put the exchange rate only in cases when your account is set to EUR or you add more currency pairs (or other financial instruments).

Re: Help needed!!

Very nice Popov you always explain things very nicely.
One more thing i would like to add is one should consider hiring a Forex broker and analysts to guide in the r money-making venture. One can also consider opening a dummy account or taking a Forex dealing course in the local business school or in online schools.Knowing the basics in Forex dealing can be very beneficial. So, try and look for some time where you can practice your dealing skills and strategies in dummy accounts or attending Forex dealing courses.These are the things one should know about Forex dealing and the Forex commerce. If you want to go and earn that money you call for for whatever reasons, try investing in the Forex commerce. If you do it decent, you can be sure that you can earn a lot of money through Forex dealing.Always remember that on whatever things you invest in, whether it would be a business or in the world’s heaviest financial commerce, you should always consider that on that point would always be risks involved.

Re: Help needed!!

Hi Popov

I have been working with Heikin Ashi in your software and I think that there is something wrong when I select "Heikin Ashi without lower shadow". In other words, there are times where a new position opens even though "Heikin Ashi without lower shadow" condition is not met. Can you please check this out?

See attached image
http://www.postimage.org/aV29e8J0.jpg

Re: Help needed!!

Hi Popov

Look at this one as well. Same problem but reversed. In circle is a candle that meets that Heikin Ashi condition (Open and Low have the same value if you look on the right table). Still condition says Long is not allowed!! The position was trigered on next candle.




http://www.postimage.org/Pq2eFWur.jpg

Re: Help needed!!

Look at this one as well. Same problem but reversed. In circle is a candle that meets that Heikin Ashi condition (Open and Low have the same value if you look on the right table). Still condition says Long is not allowed!! The position was trigered on next candle.

"Heikin Ashi" is calculated with "Use previous bar value" parameter switched on. That bar meets the condition and will rise a signal next bar.

Specifics with "Use previous bar value" indicators

1. Indicators that use previous bar value are marked with asterisk (*)

2. The chart shows current indicator values. The indicators are represented in the same way in FSB as they are shown in another programs (MT for example).

3. The signals are moved one bar ahead. In your case:
Lets assume that there is "Heikin Ashi without lower shadow" in bar 'n'. Since Heikin Ashi requires "Use prev. bar val." the signal for long entry will be in the next bar 'n+1'. The dynamic info shows "Long entry allowed - yes" for bar 'n+1'.



http://www.postimage.org/Pq2eUbrS.jpg

Re: Help needed!!

Hi Popov
Thanks again for the clarification. Another issue that I face has to do with exporting GBP/JPY in FSB system. The data exported is GMT+1 and not GMT+2 like the other pairs. How can I fix this making it GMT+2?

Re: Help needed!!

Hi Popov

I have set a strategy for GBPUSD and by changing just 1 pip in TP it generated a difference of more than 1000 pips. The 2 below strategies are exactly the same. But the 1 pip in TP cannot justify the huge difference in equity. How is this possible? (I just use 1 lot per trade, no adds)



http://www.postimage.org/aV2cRoxA.jpg



http://www.postimage.org/Pq2kGLfi.jpg

Re: Help needed!!

You cannot change the time zone of already exported data. Such change reflects on the open / close points. The best is to change the TZ of your data source before exporting.

Re: Help needed!!

I see the backtester closes two deal at Stop Loss instead on Take Profit when you change the T/P from 364 to 363. Find and compare these two deals. Probably the  T/P is equal to the High or Close of the bar. Since you are using he pessimistic interpolation method the program always tries to find the worst  variant. Try the method comparator also.

Re: Help needed!!

I dont understand what you mean. In both cases I have the same amount of wininig trades and losing trades.

Re: Help needed!!

http://www.postimage.org/gx2t25Qi.jpg


Check these two deals. I cannot say more without the strategy and data set.