I really appreciate the (constructive) input. As you can probably tell, I'm an amateur.
And I LOVE the long term charts. Thanks for the insights.
The "tight" stop is something that would have saved my account several times in the past. I actually considered it a bit loose on this occasion, being below the most recent swing low.
I've gone through a few stages as a trader:
1. Subscription services (long option position trading) with mixed success
2. Self directed discretionary (long option position trading) with HUGE success during my first month (BP puts during the well blowout)
3. Slow account death as I "learned" from various gurus
4. Breakthrough as I asked for help from an Infinite Source, and EW was revealed as The Answer
5. HUGE success for a short period as I put item 4. into practice
6. Performance decay as I rejected EW and just focused on buy signals alone
7. Study of Trend Following / Automation in pursuit of "the perfect" buy signal
8. Ultimate Realization that buy signals / trend following on its own is still discretionary - systems don't last forever and OOS testing busted some of my hopes
9. Breakthrough #4 repeats as I ask, again, the Infinite Source for help and EW is the answer, again.
10. DECISION - EW and the third wave are it - the grail for my own mind. No longer interested in taking the easy path of buy signals, automated or otherwise.
EW is not good enough on its own - it still requires momentum confirmation and a tested buy signal.
Trading is the greatest challenge I've ever come across.
PS - Pattern43, if you drop that same junk in this thread about coveting, I
will refute you vigorously from your own Book......