Professional grade Charting software - how to find good retail charting software

Into broker page do :
#You can now use QuoteTracker to access optionsXpress streaming quotes, as well as full integrated trading. To do so, please follow the instructions below:

If you do not already have QuoteTracker version 3.3.0 or higher installed, then please download the latest version of QuoteTracker and install it.
You must have your account set to allow "Site Access Via Software / XML API". To do that:
Login to your optionsXpress account
Click on the "Account" tab
Click on the "Profile" link
Click on the "Trading & Screen Preferences" sub-tab
Check the box to enable "Site Access Via Software / XML API". Below is a picture of the corresponding optionsXpress screen

#
INTO QT Medved soft , do :
#Start QuoteTracker and select optionsXpress as the quote source from the SITE dropdown list on top/right of the main QuoteTracker window. If needed, click START button to initiate the streaming quotes.
For Trading, go to OPTIONS/Data sources menu in QuoteTracker, then click on TRADING tab
Select optionsXpress as the broker, then click on the ADD button to the left of ACCOUNT NICKNAMES field. Type in the nickname that you want to use for the account, click OK, then fill in the account number, user name and password. You will be prompted with a trading agreement. Once you agree to it, go on to the next step.
Open the TRADE and TRANSACTION panels by clicking on the corresponding tabs at the top of the QuoteTracker main screen, right below the menu.

Select optionsXpress as the broker you want to use for trading if it is not already selected. You are now ready to trade#

source ; http://www.quotetracker.com/help/optionsxpress.shtml

general : http://www.quotetracker.com/help/index.shtml

artes in FR : http://www.dot-circle.net/coveredcall.html
 
>Velshin

>MetaStock / MetaQuotes - Reportedly they've gone downhill >since being acquired by
>Reuters. Without a demo it's hard to tell how good MS would be.

You can get a free trial from http://www.equis.com/

>CQG - No demo. No pricing info on their site. Mostly good reviews.

You can get a free trial here too. I've taken it. As I remember
the basic monthly fee was $600.

I used Reuters privately for 10 years. And have used and
seen most all of the charting software around that is above
the 'toy' level. I doubt that you will find any software that
meets your needs and expectations 100%. I, and I believe
many others, use a number of packages together.
All, including Reuters, have bugs, will freeze and crash. When
software and the internet have been around as long as TV
has, then we should have everthing we need.
In the meantime, I use eSignal and platforms provided
by Japanese brokers.

I don't know your ability at using TA, and excuse me for saying
so, but if you're above average, your TA skill will allow you
to overcome whatever shortcomings a charting package has
as long as it's above the 'toy' level.


To tell you the truth, the best charting package I ever used
was when I had to draw all my charts by hand 35 years ago!!
 
learner2007, thanks for your reply. Having worked on the floor of several investment banks, I know that no software solution is perfect -- regardless of the cost! I'm a novice at TA. I've sat over the shoulders of enough traders to know that good software won't make you profitable, but bad software certainly can hurt even the best traders.




Has anyone been using CQG or MetaStock recently? Are they the solid "pro" grade software that they claim to be?
 
Quote from velshin:

learner2007, thanks for your reply. Having worked on the floor of several investment banks, I know that no software solution is perfect -- regardless of the cost! I'm a novice at TA. I've sat over the shoulders of enough traders to know that good software won't make you profitable, but bad software certainly can hurt even the best traders.

Has anyone been using CQG or MetaStock recently? Are they the solid "pro" grade software that they claim to be?
More...


>velshin
I too worked at an investment bank, but there was no
software in those days!

As you say, there is plenty of bad sw out there. However,
I think you will find that the better traders will depend more
on their overall trading ability and use sw that does not
hinder them.
Again excuse me for saying so, but I get the feeling that you
are expecting the charting package you are looking for to
deliver results that are not available at this time. If, as you
say, you are a novice at TA, even a combination of the best
aspects of all the top charting packages is not going to be the
tool you are expecting.

My best advice is that you take the more important first step
and learn TA, develop your skills, build and test a trading plan
that works for you, and then search for the best charting sw.
You will find that the sw has a different value to you then,
and you will be able to judge which sw fits your needs.

Good luck!
 
I am curious to understand why you eliminated Sierra Chart as I'm pretty sure that I would find it easy to do the things you described in the OP. I think I could do them with ensign as well although its a couple of years since I used it.
 
I may still give Sierra Charts a try but their video demos indicate their charts aren't as visually pleasing or easy to use as TD Ameritrade's StrategyDesk (which I've been using for longer term TA) or QuoteTracker (which I've been using for entries/exits). I'm leery of software that doesn't offer a free demo (TS, CQG, Sierra, MetaStock, etc.) without signing up for service (and then canceling out of the 30-day "free" trial).

I've had success with my trading in a medium term (weeks to months) time frame. I intend to try day trading with a "small" account and StrategyDesk + QuoteTracker won't quite cut it anymore, hence my search for better software.

I was hoping that users of the "pricier" software would chime in with their opinions and possibly post screenshots of the charting in action.

Thanks to all the ET members that have responded thus far!
 
I second kiwi's question, I can easily accomplish all of your requirements with Sierra chart. It works with multiple data feeds including dtn iq which has as many glitches as other feeds and you can make it look as clean as you want. Kiwi writes code and has written many DLL plug ins for Sierra, I don't know code from a euro phone number and can still make it all work. You can have custom DLL's written that will do whatever you need. I use mytrack feed.
Dont let the funky looking home page with those mountains fool you. I have no affilliation.
 
Quote from Tums:

Professionals do not use retail software.
More...

The question was about charting software and not trading platform. I don't see why a retail charting package cannot be as good, or even better, as any other "professional" package.
I use TradeStation and I am very pleased with the charting part.
 
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