Is Tradestation worth getting?

<i>Right now, I trade spread bets against the ftse and dow and sp futures. They operate in the same way, but the fees are in the spread. </i>

It might be of limited value for what you are doing now, as I understand it tradestation does not have LIFFE data. If this has changed in the last few months I would be interested.

That being said, I am certain that if you got tradestation you could find other relationships you could exploit and it would most likely help you.

Brandon
 
N.

I also develop and build what are primarily quantitative models for trading and have found Tradestation (version 4) invaluable. I cannot compare it to its competition, but there is simply no possible way I could do the testing I do by hand, at least not in this lifetime.

If you are reasonably proficient mathematically, Easy language will not pose too large a challenge, and TS has a logic/syntax checker that is pretty helpful when trying to find and error. Still, like many programs that are built to be "easy" I found it considerably more cumbersome than other programming languages.

I use end of day data for futures and equities traded worldwide, and while I cannot comment on the travails of using intraday data my updates via internet integrate seamlessly with TS.

Are used versions available, say on Ebay? If your primary focus is initially research, i.e., to systematize your trading, and if you can find a historical intra-day database, this could be a low risk option for you. If it doesn't meet your needs you could turn around and sell it for about what you paid.


Best,

O.
 
If you are looking at TS2000i you will need a datafeed. Probably the most widely used and supported real time feed is eSignal, so you might as well check it out too. You can run both eSignal and TS2000i with one account on the same computer as many of our users do.

eSignal has both US and European exchanges. Also works with numerous integrated brokerages like IB.

For the latest on our newest package, check this out:

http://www.esignal.com/esignal/features/default.asp

Chuck
@eSignal
 
This doesn't necessarily answer the original question, but tradstation just had their earnings conference call today where the CEO briefly mentioned TradeStation 7 in his opening comments. He said that they are targeting Q1 of 2003 for release and that new features will include automated execution of futures, Radar Screen and Option Station (legacy SW capabilities), window linking, hotkeys, access to ECN books, premarket and afterhours charting, "and other enhancements."

The conference call is archived and accessible from their web page (although I can't seem to get it to work), and it is also available here: http://biz.yahoo.com/cc/5/22595.html

..but what I said was pretty much all they said about the next release.

--Derek
 
Originally posted by Girlpower
Right now, I trade spread bets against the ftse and dow and sp futures. They operate in the same way, but the fees are in the spread.....I work out ideas in spread sheets and from pouring over reams of printouts of charts which is enormously time consuming. ...
I'm looking to totally systematise (as opposed to automate) what I do based upon signals that can show themselves to have high probabilities of success, and basically use a mathematical approach to the whole thing.

I guess that's as much info as I can give right now.

:)
Natalie
More...

Given that style of trading you should take a look at http://www.lmt-expo.com/ Possible drawback: It is designed for institutional customers.

Another alternative ist R-Quant: http://www.smartquant.com/. Though this one will require some heavy-duty C++ programming.

I do not have any practical experience with either product.

Regards

Bernd Kuerbs
 
Originally posted by One
N.

I also develop and build what are primarily quantitative models for trading and have found Tradestation (version 4) invaluable. I cannot compare it to its competition, but there is simply no possible way I could do the testing I do by hand, at least not in this lifetime.

If you are reasonably proficient mathematically, Easy language will not pose too large a challenge, and TS has a logic/syntax checker that is pretty helpful when trying to find and error. Still, like many programs that are built to be "easy" I found it considerably more cumbersome than other programming languages.

I use end of day data for futures and equities traded worldwide, and while I cannot comment on the travails of using intraday data my updates via internet integrate seamlessly with TS.

Are used versions available, say on Ebay? If your primary focus is initially research, i.e., to systematize your trading, and if you can find a historical intra-day database, this could be a low risk option for you. If it doesn't meet your needs you could turn around and sell it for about what you paid.


Best,

O.
More...

TradeStation ver.4 was an awesome product, stable and powerful. What it lacked was realtime internet data capability. It used sat feed, which worked great but was a bit cumbersome because you needed a fairly big dish. I agree it would be excellent for end of day or testing on historical data that can be downloaded from a vendor or CD.

The big attraction of TradeStation for most is that you can backtest systems and apply a system to any open chart in realtime. Depending on the complexity of your entry and exit signals, this cna be helpful. Since you only trade a few markets, the lack of scanning ability is not important. But you do have to have a chart open with the symbol you want to trade to use the system.
 
Hi,

If I were to get hold of a tradestation 4 on e-bay for example, where would I get the data from? Strikes me as a tricky one...

My existing supplier has the choice of Sat/internet and I use internet right now. I suppose I could go over to a sat feed, but then I'd lose the portability...

:confused:

Natalie
 
Originally posted by Girlpower
If I were to get hold of a tradestation 4 on e-bay for example, where would I get the data from? Strikes me as a tricky one...
More...
Natalie,

Check out dynastore for eSignal http://www.dynastoresoftware.com/ . I use Dynastore for QFeed (now discontinued) with TS2000i, and I absolutely love it. Also, it seems to me that I've seen some posts on the Omega List about TS4's not working with WinXP. It works fine on Win2K.

Another thing to consider is that TS4 has a 13,000 bar limit. This is great if you test daily or high timeframe compressions, but for intraday stuff like 5 minute bars, it's a problem. TS2000 is limited only by your hardware; I know people who've loaded over 1 million bars for testing.

One thing that TS6 can't do (but the upcoming TS7 is rumored to do) is read ASCII data. I create a synthetic price series from two data series that I'm spreading. I can then read it into TS2000 for testing as if it were a single price series. (This works only for backtesting, of course, but you can program TS to alert you in realtime, page you, send orders automatically, etc. once you've found a tradeable method.)
 
Hi Dave,

I can get a 2000i from my current feed provider and I can get a satelite feed from them, and they are one of the very few approved vendors in the UK (not least because the feed quality is very good.)

As to markets, I'm really only interested in the main Futures anyway, and IF I do start to take positions in individual companies, I probably wouldn't do that intraday anyway, because the commisions and tax over here kill off any profits anyway... :(

So you are saying that 2000i is not as some have suggested a bit of a dog then? Is it robust enough for intraday? Does it have any problems with falling over and missing things? Will that work on XP? I'll look into the feed you've suggested too...

It might be time to duplicate my feed. I already have a satelite dish pointing at the right satalite, and a twin LMB and some cable is all that is required there. Would that be a sensible suggestion, thus giving me the access to a net feed if I'm away and want to have a look on my laptop.



:)

Natalie
 
Originally posted by Girlpower
So you are saying that 2000i is not as some have suggested a bit of a dog then? Is it robust enough for intraday? Does it have any problems with falling over and missing things? Will that work on XP? I'll look into the feed you've suggested too...
More...

Hi Natalie,

There are lots of horror stories about TS2K, but I have had none. It's not for being easy on the system because I've run some very lengthy calculations on *lots* of data. It seems to be more related to your hardware setup. I have a separate trading machine that runs only my quote feed and TS during the trading day. Pentium 667MHz, 512M RAM, nothing really powerful. I keep my mail, web browser, Interactive Brokers TWS, and everything else on another computer. That would be my caution, although I've run TS2000 on my work laptop, with lots of other junk on it without a problem either.

So, in short, I do believe that people have problems with TS2K. I've been very lucky and haven't had a single one. I moved up from TS4, and I love the additional features in TS2000. For the last 2 1/2 years, I've traded intraday systems using 30 min and 10 minute bars with the software. I've even done some 50 tick bar systems. :) Global Server doesn't miss a beat! It'll work on XP also, although I use it on Win2000
 
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