Auto trading newbie

[moehonker]

Quote from iancand:

I have had some good success with ATS strategies but I found most of it was luck. I had left out backtesting the 1m intra-bar signals. I had had some good trades that just by chance when there were no intra-bar signals. My original strategies looked fantastic on backtests but that wasnt real data, I needed to also test with intra-bar data to see if any false signals were to trigger inbetween. The intra-bar test for the most part were very similar to the actual trades that were fired off.

Most of these strategies I was using breakdown with intra-bar signals, it just seem to easy at first now I am grounded back into reality, and am working on ways to optimize them. A few look pretty promising and will try them out on Monday.

It sure was too easy at first until checking the intra bar box and close close then gut punch! But if your strategy worked without the intra minute box checked and open open, I believe it is a test for how manually trading one's strategy will work since one will eliminate the mindless system executing for every tick above and below one's trigger pts. Plus there is more than one indicator needed to analyze good entrys and exits and the SD techs told me that the more parameters you put in, the harder it is for the ATS.

It sure was too easy at first until checking the intra bar box and close close then gut punch! But if your strategy worked without the intra minute box checked and open open, I believe it is a test for how manually trading one's strategy will work since one will eliminate the mindless system executing for every tick above and below one's trigger pts. Plus there is more than one indicator needed to analyze good entrys and exits and the SD techs told me that the more parameters you put in, the harder it is for the ATS.

There are too many ways for a trade to execute as programmed but the wrong time. You will see what I mean as you progress. If you find something that works consistently package it and sell it.

 

[moehonker]

Quote from RScott:

I did my first test with them which instead of trading, would send me an email of a trade. And due to a bug, at the end of the day, it sent me 300 emails every minute. I suppose this is what happened to others, so i'm glad i tested first.

My strategy runs every minute, but i still can't replicate my back testing results and i'm not 100% sure why. I can get close, but not close enough it seems. If only we could backtest to the tick level.

It takes several indicator readings for me to accurately pinpoint good entries and exits so my string would be too long for the SD system considering the SD tech said keep it simple or risk.

lol 300 a minute! I set it up for emails and got none two days ago so they must have fixed it so good that now nada lol. I since changed it back to sound alerts and pronounce the alert but that is another can of worms since the bell constantly rings and the voice is constantly speaking jibberish so I canned that! Now I keep an alert window open and hit the top bar so all trade trigger alerts are at the top of the alert window and the taskbar icon appears.

 

[RScott]

i had my sell formula automatically sell anytime after 3:50pm. My buy formula didn't know this, and they fought it out. Buying the stock and instantly reselling it, for 10 minutes. 3000 emails later, i learned my lesson.

 

[iancand]

Hopefully by Wednesday I should have enough evidence to see whether my new formula is working as expected or I am again completely wrong. I should have had about 32 to 45 orders and if I backtest and compare the results on Wednesday I should finally see a strong similarity (within a few minutes of each other) between backtesting and actual orders. Cross your fingers.

 

[moehonker]

Do any of you using Strategy Desk have problems with data stopping from seconds to minutes daily?

 

[iancand]

Quote from moehonker:

It takes several indicator readings for me to accurately pinpoint good entries and exits so my string would be too long for the SD system considering the SD tech said keep it simple or risk.

lol 300 a minute! I set it up for emails and got none two days ago so they must have fixed it so good that now nada lol. I since changed it back to sound alerts and pronounce the alert but that is another can of worms since the bell constantly rings and the voice is constantly speaking jibberish so I canned that! Now I keep an alert window open and hit the top bar so all trade trigger alerts are at the top of the alert window and the taskbar icon appears.

I am still trying to make some automated strategy work it with Strategy Desk, it really is true the more complicated the strategy the less likely it is to work with Strategy Desk. No luck yet in fining any strategy that has much similarity to any resemblance of backtesting results even after following all of the TD Ameritrade techs instructions as per previous conversations. I am at a loss to struggle to figure out how this can possibly work, is this automated Strategy Desk complete junk or am I missing something that is so obvious I dont know but I will keep trying. I see that backtesting result look so tantalizing yet the when applied have no correlation, just absolutely frustrating.

 

[darnelds]

iancand,
be persistent in calling strategydesk for answers. early in the day is best. their support is good, so insist on answers to your questions.

Quote from iancand:

I am still trying to make some automated strategy work it with Strategy Desk, it really is true the more complicated the strategy the less likely it is to work with Strategy Desk. No luck yet in fining any strategy that has much similarity to any resemblance of backtesting results even after following all of the TD Ameritrade techs instructions as per previous conversations. I am at a loss to struggle to figure out how this can possibly work, is this automated Strategy Desk complete junk or am I missing something that is so obvious I dont know but I will keep trying. I see that backtesting result look so tantalizing yet the when applied have no correlation, just absolutely frustrating.

 

[Sumeet]

Hi Folks,

I have been working on SD for over a month now and I have developed multiple Entry strategies and one Master exit.

Initially I tested my strategies for daily bars. I had buys set at 'Open' and sells set at 'High' and intra bar check wasn't set. My test was limited to 50-60 securities. The results were mind blowing.

But then I ran into this thread and tried my strats with the intra-bar flag set to one min. Oh my Gosh! It turned out to be disaster.

Quote from moehonker:

It sure was too easy at first until checking the intra bar box and close close then gut punch!

Do we really need to do this intra-bar scans and that also set to one min? Also moehonker what do you mean by buy and sell set to close close?

How do you guys enable the emailing system for alerts? I just have the sound option, which is irksome.

One more thing - I was backtesting my formulas as far as 2003 and realized that the data is not correct even at 15 min level.
I have exit set for a loss of 8%. For KIRK the exit happens after 78% loss and almost after a year since it missed the 8% exit.
There were 3 or 4 trades like this. Now tell me how do I rely on backtesting if the data supplied is corrupt.

There are couple of things which pisses me off being a programmer by trade - SD doesnt have 'IF-ELSE' capability and cant create 'VARIABLES'. You cant get too far logically with just AND & OR.

Hope you get what I am trying to say.

I am definitely thinking of moving onto some other Software such as traderstudio or TS or NT. Only thing that is bugging me is the learning curve. Anyone has any suggestions?

Quote from moehonker:

You will see what I mean as you progress. If you find something that works consistently package it and sell it.

FYI -

I have seen videos on youtube of sucessful trades using SD and that guy is selling the formulas as well. Just search for KillerSDFormulas on youtube. But how do you rely on videos because he definitely wont show his losing trades and he wont tell you the W/L or payoff ratio.

I am thinking of calling SD but I am not getting time.

Anyways happy trading and let us know if anyone of you guys have been consistenly making good money with SD. I dont need the formulas but just the settings.

Dasvidaniya
Sumeet

 

[darnelds]

Call tech support at TD Ameritrade. They will walk you through how to back test. Don't jump into an entirely new technology just because you need some help with programming. BTW, don't forget to ask how you qualify for cheaper commissions ($5.00 per trade).