well I have a limited number of day trades as well which is why I also try to put myself only in the best positions like you, the the difference is only this:
I try to find the breakouts
you try to find the trends
I think both work can very well.
EDIT: And I also use the weekly charts, and also the 1 months and 3 months charts to try and predict whether the position I am looking at is likely to bounce or continue to fall. I don't use SMAs or WMAs other than what my brain and intuition feels like it is, and I look for the patterns of the highs and lows, and I also look to see how low the the current low is, and try to determine whether it's "low enough" to bounce to another new high in the next day or two, or whether its going to burn out fast and fall like FAS did last week. I feel that it was literally because the low, wasn't low enough.
Yes news has an effect, yes quarterly reports and tarp and all that yes fundamentals have an effect, but ultimately all those thing cause "blips" on the radar, unless you have continual bad news over and over continuing to push the trend bias downward, I think most prices are set by traders like you and I, and people see a low and they buy it from those who are fearful, and push it up until you get a high and then holders profit from it by selling to the fearful again who get to watch it fall again.
EDIT #2:
I should also add, I mean as far as how the market affects traders like you and I, not long term investors, that's a whole different ball game. I am talking about the short term 1-3 or maybe even 5 day holders.