Aussiedoc's Duck'n'Bob

[fxozgirl]

Hey Doc,

I took some manual trades on the Daily chart at the start of the month and still holding

ducknbob_opentrades.png

Nice work! Pip Haul Master (mistress?)

[DING]

I demo the bot one week but have not any order be open,
I sort out the code and find this line code maybe a issue,
I will modify the code to test again,FYI

void GetMaCross()
{
double pv1 = GetMa(SlowMaTdTF, SlowMaTdPeriod, SlowMaTdShift, SlowMaTdMethod, SlowMaTdAppliedPrice, CrossCandlesBack + 1);

[theforexedge]

Ding

Did the changes to the code work?

Jason

[DING]

no, i need sort a again.

[Aussiedoc]

Hey Doc,
I took some manual trades on the Daily chart at the start of the month and still holding

Shelley, hi! I've been out of action for a bit. Just starting to catch up. How did those trades go?
Cheers

[garyfritz]

Mighty nicely, if she held onto them.

I see the trades she took are also the strongest pairs in the NBob system this month -- not too surprising, considering how you've worked TMA into the later versions. I need to take a closer look at the Doc Ducks!

[garyfritz]

(??? Doc's response disappeared while I was responding to it. I'm pretty sure I didn't delete it... Just to restore the continuity, here is the content of his missing post:)

Gary, thanks!

Earlier this year my sleep-deprived brain came up with the "plucked" version of Ducks. Because the 10.2 TMA Slope_Norm indicator pretty accurately depicts a change of TD pivot - open a trade on the 2nd candle that opens >0.5/-0.5 in the TD and exit on the first candle to close <0.4/-0.4. (See below)

When I looked back over the D1, H4, H1, M15 & M5 on the various pairs to the start of the year... I realized that, had I been trading that way on any/all of them, my Ducks would have been quacking very nicely.

Having been "trading-time poor" for most of this year; I jumped right in on the D1 with the "plucked" version. Nice!!!


Furthermore; as my coding ability is "zilch"; the thought also crossed my mind of throwing myself upon the mercies of the assembled Forum coders and asking if someone(s) would consider building a generic multi time-frame variation of the 10.2 TMA Slope_Norm that displayed an onscreen message and sound alert, similar to that EMA Crossover indi I now use, whenever the above entry and exit conditions occurred.

Gary, as an experienced, non-involved observer, can I ask a favour (and you are allowed to say no)? I would appreciate it greatly if you would please check it out and let me know if my idea has legs or not??

Thanks heaps.
Cheers

OK, but no promises of miracles.

Is Steve's summary in post 1 still an accurate representation of how you trade the plucked ducks?

Here is the heart of a pm Aussiedoc sent me last week.
1. MA cross of the 8 period smoothed moving average by the 3 period smoothed moving average.
2. look for 1st candle to open below/above 3MA in TD
3. is TMA_Slope >0.8/-0.8 Y/N?
4. if N - wait for next MA cross
5. if Y - is NB_10.2_TMA_Slope_Display indicating above 0 (horizontal arrow) in same TD?
6. if N - wait for next MA Cross
7. if Y - open trade
8. set SL = previous pivot/3 candles back
9. only 1 trade in TD per MA cross.
10. each subsequent candle - is TMA_Slope_Norm > 0.4/-0.4 Y/N If Y - next candle; if N - close trade.
11. repeat sequence

Questions...
1 & 2 -- you're using an SMMA there, correct? I frankly don't know what Empty4 thinks a smoothed MA is, but I'll dig into it if I have to.

What is TD?

3-7 -- sounds like you only take the trade if TMA_slope > 0.8 and Slope_Display > 0 on the same bar when the MAs cross, yes? What is NB_10.2_TMA_Slope_Display? I don't see that anywhere.

So pending understanding of what Slope_Display is, it sounds like your entry signal is just "3ma cross over 8ma when slope > 0.8." That's a perfectly reasonable entry. Slope > 0.8 says we're in a strong trend, and the MA cross says the price is moving aggressively in that direction. Then you close when Slope < 0.4, which is also reasonable.

This is just a slightly different version of how everyone's trading the slope indicator, and it should work as well as the similar versions. Like other Slope-based approaches, it relies on strong sustained trends, since the Slope often takes a while to get to 0.8. See e.g. this chart:

Slope.gif

In this example you'd be OK because the MAs crossed shortly after the trend changed. You'd have missed the whole move but you wouldn't have jumped in right at the top.

In fact my biggest question is how often this actually works. Most of the time the Slope doesn't get above 0.8 until long after the MAs cross. If the market drops enough so the MAs cross back down again, it pulls the Slope down. Looking at the pairs Shelley entered, I don't see an entry signal there. Am I misunderstanding something?

If I was going to suggest a change, it would be to IGNORE the magic 0.8 slope value. How long it takes to reach 0.8 is heavily dependent on the strength of the previous trend, which is irrelevant to the current trend. In the chart above, it spends almost NO time > 0.8 or < -0.8 even though the market trended strongly for weeks at a time. As I suggested in another thread, I think DIRECTION is a better signal, or maybe the DISTANCE it has traveled in one direction. Take a trade when the MAs cross if the D1 Slope is trending up. That would work well in the AUDNZD example above, and in a lot more cases.

Or you could look at the amount the Slope has increased since its last turn. Enter when it's raised at least 0.2 or so from its bottom. Exit when it's dropped 0.2 or so from its top. I haven't backtested it yet but I suspect that will get you a lot better entry signals than the magic Slope levels.

Gary

[Aussiedoc]

Is Steve's summary in post 1 still an accurate representation of how you trade the plucked ducks?

Gary, thanks for the reply. Sorry it has taken me so long to reply.

1. MA cross of the 8 period smoothed moving average by the 3 period smoothed moving average.
2. look for 1st candle to open below/above 3MA in TD (Trend Direction)

1. Case of "Monkey see--Monkey do!" The only reason I used the 3/8 MA was because that is what my mentor, trading E-minis, uses them to confirm a change in TD following a pivot. I used a Smoothed MA simply because it closely aligned with the Crossover signal indi which I used to give me an auditory "heads-up" on the change of TD -- as I can only usually spare brief glimpses to check during the day. Although it gave me an indication of change in Trend; my problem is that I then still check each candle to ascertain entry criteria. OK on the D1 - less so on the shorter Time Frames.
2. Further confirmation of TD.[/quote]

Gary, the "plucked version" is:-
OPEN TRADE
3. at candle open is TMA_Slope >0.4/-0.4 Y/N?
4. If N - wait for next candle.
5. If Y - wait for next candle.
6. If Y - At candle open is TMA_Slope >0.5/-0.5 Y/N?
7. If Y - open trade in TD.
8. Set SL = previous pivot/3 candles back
9. Only 1 trade in TD per MA cross.
CLOSE TRADE
10. Each subsequent candle - is TMA_Slope_Norm > 0.4/-0.4 Y/N
11. If Y - next candle;
12. If N - close trade.
13. Repeat sequence until Y condition.

Questions...
1 & 2 -- you're using an SMMA there, correct? I frankly don't know what Empty4 thinks a smoothed MA is, but I'll dig into it if I have to.

They are only there as confirmation of a change in Trend Direction. To my limited understanding it seems that the display the 10.2 Slope_Norm indicator gives corresponding to each candle superseded them - so I ditched them. Steve coded them into the EA he built so I didn't need them on the screen.

3-7 -- sounds like you only take the trade if TMA_slope > 0.8 and Slope_Display > 0 on the same bar when the MAs cross, yes? What is NB_10.2_TMA_Slope_Display? I don't see that anywhere.

Gary, completely open to suggestion here! I like the 3/8MA cross because I know that, if I wait until they are in the right position I am trading with the Trend. With the "plucked" version I did away with the NB_10.2_TMA_Slope_Display indicator, which I understand to indicate Trend Strength, in favour of the coloured bars in the 10.2 Slope_Norm indicator; which I also understand to do the same. Also, rather than wait until the slope >0.8/-0.8 -- I have been entering on the second candle where the slope>0.5/-0.5 and exiting when <0.4/-0.4.

If I was going to suggest a change, it would be to IGNORE the magic 0.8 slope value. How long it takes to reach 0.8 is heavily dependent on the strength of the previous trend, which is irrelevant to the current trend. In the chart above, it spends almost NO time > 0.8 or < -0.8 even though the market trended strongly for weeks at a time. As I suggested in another thread, I think DIRECTION is a better signal, or maybe the DISTANCE it has traveled in one direction. Take a trade when the MAs cross if the D1 Slope is trending up. That would work well in the AUDNZD example above, and in a lot more cases.

Or you could look at the amount the Slope has increased since its last turn. Enter when it's raised at least 0.2 or so from its bottom. Exit when it's dropped 0.2 or so from its top. I haven't backtested it yet but I suspect that will get you a lot better entry signals than the magic Slope levels.

Gary

Gary, since joining the Forum I am amazed at how little I actually know about all things Forex - and how much I have learned in the past year to reach the "so little" mark! I stand in awe at the knowledge you all possess. I also understand that, as my daughters so often tell me, "Daddy, you have spent your whole life practicing how to make it look and sound so easy!" - also applies to you!

My dream/thought/expectation was, and is, to have an indication that - when then correct values align for a trade entry (the Ducks quack in unison) - I be able to easily recognize that time via either an onscreen display or sound alert (triggering of the alert.wav in the Empty4 platform sounds folder); or both -- so I can trade my way to cutting back my work-load from 120+ hours per week to a more reasonable 40 or so.

As I originally said, I believe that being able to also consistently trade the shorter time-frames (H4, H1, M15) will help me to achieve that. Unfortunately, to do so requires I be able to devote the time necessary to monitor said time-frames; which so far I have been unable to do consistently.

This is where I place myself completely in your hands. Your comments above have high-lighted knowledge that hitherto was in what we call Area 3 knowledge - what I didn't know I didn't know (the only area of true intellectual growth).

Gary, my world is a results oriented worlds. Based upon what you have already said above - can I pleased leave the "how" to you - in the trust that whatever you accomplish will be more that adequate for the job?

Thanks a million.
Cheers
Mark (aka Doc)

[garyfritz]

Doc and I have been discussing some of this offline. Before I tackle this one I want to make sure I understand where he is on the PM discussions.