Going Live

Norm · Jan 25, 2006

Chameleontrader - Good question. Being new to this, I wanted to see if papertrading with live data was different from out-of-sample back testing. Looks like maybe the differences are small, if any.

But also, my best back tests use tick data. TS makes limited tick data available. So, to do more out-of-sample testing, I'm using live tick data.

Thanks,
Norm

El OchoCinco · Jan 25, 2006

Hey Norm:

Look at these two quotes from you:

"It's an intraday trading program (it typically trades 10 to 20 times per day) and I need more sideways and slightly down days."

"The system is design for use in an IRA. That is whaere I presently do my trading. So, at the moment, it only goes long."

If you cannot see why an intraday trading system which only goes long and needs slightly sideways to down movement will lose money, then you need to do more testing.

Norm · Jan 25, 2006

Hello Optioncoach,

I need more sideways and slightly down days so that I can see, real time, how the system performs under those conditions. I can do this by looking over my backtest results. However, I just wanted to watch some different market conditions live.

These are not the days that I expect the most profit. Although, I do expect the system to be profitable on many of these days. It seems to be only the days having big dives that are unprofitable.

Thanks,
Norm

nononsense · Jan 25, 2006

Quote from Norm:

Chameleontrader - Good question. Being new to this, I wanted to see if papertrading with live data was different from out-of-sample back testing. Looks like maybe the differences are small, if any.

But also, my best back tests use tick data. TS makes limited tick data available. So, to do more out-of-sample testing, I'm using live tick data.

Thanks,
Norm

Why don't you try live-trading with archived data.
"Looks like maybe the differences are small, if any."

Norm · Jan 27, 2006

I have tested with one minute bar archived data extensively. It's okay, but not the same as tick.

I am trying to find more tick data. I tried tickplusdata.com. Their pricing is good. But, it looks like you need third party software to load their data into Tradestation's data server. Seems like someone should offer tick data that is easier to use with TradeStation. Any suggestions.

Thanks,
Norm

man · Jan 30, 2006

MAESTRO

you may be a lot of other things, but you are NOT funny. and if you stretched your brain surgery idea to infinity to prove the superiority of your own, powerful set up, you won't get funnier. so sorry.

Zastaber · Jan 30, 2006

Quote from man:

MAESTRO

you may be a lot of other things, but you are NOT funny.

Second that. Making a joke out of anothers attempt to create a trading system is quite childish, regardless of what you think of their strategy.

man · Jan 30, 2006

Quote from Norm:

Hello,

I have thoroughly back tested my strategy and have been monitoring its performance on live data (with fake money) for about a week. I am very happy with its performance. I plan to monitor it on live data with fake money for about two or three more weeks to get a better feel for its performance on a variety of different kinds of trading days.

It's an intraday trading program (it typically trades 10 to 20 times per day) and I need more sideways and slightly down days. It did extremely well on last Friday (the day the DOW lost over 200 points), by providing a surprisingly acceptable loss. Actually, it immediately lost about $1,000 and then spent the rest of the day recouping about $500 to end the day about $500 down. It made $500 in each of the two previous days, so the loss was better than acceptable.

I was actually very proud of the program's heroic efforts to make up for the initial loss (yes - I know that is a bit silly, but I am still very proud).

The strategy is written in EasyLanguage and runs on the latest TradeStation platform. It is merely the code necessary to define my entries, exits, and stop loses.

This is my first effort at automated trading. Should I put anything else in the code before going live with real money? Do I need anything other than my trading strategy?

Thanks,
Norm

this sounds good. the number of trades is high enough to give you quick answers to the extent you might have curve fitted or not. i would reconsider the long only approach. picking shorts is difficult. on a purely technical basis i do not anyone who does it sucessfully, but you might consider shorting a big index against your exposure. but then again, you do not run overnight positions, do you?
i do not run anything on single stocks, so i am not the expert. but i would look at my returns in up and down markets on a daily basis. if i was profitable on both (do not know if that is possible long only singles), i would not care at all. if not, hence the long bias in your database and overall stock drift. how long was your backtest? if it did not see a bear market, i'd be scared as hell. if it goes back to 2000 ... test another two weeks, then give it a try.

good luck

fulliautomatix · Feb 3, 2006

i don't post here much due to the fact there are more people interested in putting people down while comfortably hidden behind an anonymous id than actually helping them to trade...which is what this site should be for.

don't know if this was said yet, as i didnt read all of the posts- but make sure you back test on out of sample data - curve fitting is an easy thing to do as you tweak your program day to day on live data, trying to make it so your program hits that nice trend of the day that it missed before. also take a look at how much of a difference trading out of an IRA will make - commissions, taxes, etc...

tradewiz50 · Feb 3, 2006

Quote from MAESTRO:

I have been practicing a brain surgery procedure for two weeks now on live patients. I used a very sharp Buck knife and some pliers. So far 2 out my 10 patience died but they were not that important to me (distant relatives).

I am very happy with my performance. I plan to practice on a few more live patients that Iâm not related to get a better feel for my skills on a variety of different kinds of patients.

It's an out patient type of a surgery where you just cut a rear side of the brain.
I was actually very proud of my heroic efforts to make up for the initial loss of patients (yes - I know that is a bit silly, but I am still very proud).

The procedure is based on a few clamps that I found in my dadâs garage, a heater that I borrowed from my sister and a battery charger to make my patients paralyzed. It is merely the tools to cut the skull open and extract the right side of the brain.

This is my first effort at performing a brain surgery. Should I put anything else on my operating table before I start cutting my relatives? Do I need anything other than my surgery procedure?

Thanks,
Brain Surgeon

Classic.