What's new Options

[Admin]

S26 inherits all the best from Leader systems but has 2 unique features:

• Variable time frame. Most MT4 TS can trade on standard periods M1, M5, M15, M30....only. Nevertheless, sometimes the most profitable signals come from non-standard charts, for instance M3 or M7 (3 or 7 minutes chart). S26 has variable and optimized period (TimeFrame) that encompasses all MT4 range from 1 minute to 1 month with a one-minute increment.
• Automatic optimization. S26 contains a second Metatrader instance that used to run optimization during trading without interruption or any human intervention. A sophisticated program, implemented in DLL, runs second MT4 instance,, processes the optimization results and make them available to a main program, i.e. it provides an interface between MT4 trading and optimizing EA. In the end of every candle optimizer runs and sets optimal values for EA inputs.

Also S26 has:

• Automatic spread control
• Programmable stop/resume timer
• Embedded spread/tick logger. This allows every period to write into a file current spread and number of ticks.
• Automatic Money Management (lot size) System
• A profitable/lossy orders control that stops EA in case number of lost positions hit a predefined value
• Soft shutdown system. In case system scheduled to stop on timer, it doesn't remove all orders at once but in 30-60 minutes before stop moment gradually removes pending orders, then profitable market ones. When stop-timer triggers but market orders with a negative profit still exists, TS even then didn't simply remove them but sets their stop-loss to a minimum level allowed. In case breakout direction is favorable those also close with profit.

Depending on trader's experience, style and technical skills level S26 may be configured for 4 modes:

1. Manual optimization, fixed trading channel parameters(ChanAuto= FALSE). This mode delivers less profit with minimal drawdown and fits for beginners or those who prefer conservative trading style. You get a smooth rising equity curve without stress of drawdowns. Number of trades is smallest relatively to modes 2 and 3. TS doesn't trade during lazy market and profits below 10-12 pips are unaccessible.
2. Manual optimization, automatically calculated channel parameters (ChanAuto= TRUE). Trader has to run optimization manually but take profit and distance orders moved is variable and depend on current market conditions. Profits from STOP_LEVELS and above become accessible. A reverse side of small profit levels (narrow trading channel) is a bigger drawdown in case of sharp price swing until system adaptation to new market conditions completes.
3. Automatic optimization, fixed channel. Same as mode 1 but optimizer runs without human intervention.
4. Automatic optimization, variable channel. Same as mode 1 but optimizer runs automatically.

All four modes are profitable and have their own pros and cons.

[Admin]

How automatic optimization works

• In case optimizer installed and properly configured, every time S26 starts it sends a request to FXBMT4.DLL library
• The function in library checks if all necessary files are available, modifies expert and terminal configuration files and run a second Metatrader instance for optimization with the parameters (start date, end date, instrument, etc) we need. At this moment a window of optimizing MT4 with moving progress bar appears.
• 
• In 30-200 seconds optimization process terminates and second MT4 window disappears.
• At this time all necessary data are available and saved to temporary HTM file where MT usually stores optimization/test results.
• Next stage is reading this file, data extraction and sorting.
• The most optimal parameters set returned back to calling EA (fxb_s26_ts.ex4) and become available to the program. You may see that data in EA comment line and information panel changed. TS continues to work with those optimal settings.
• At the same time for user convenience EA ini-files in both trader and optimizer folders are modified accordingly, so if you invoke a Strategy Tester and click Expert Proprties button, you will see the same optimal parameters as in main trader EA instance. If you manually run test now, you see how TS performs after optimization.

The optimization process repeats every period if OptCycle=1 in fxbmt4.ini [S26] section or OptCycle*TimeFrame minutes. If OptCycle=3 and TimeFrame= 5 TS makes self-optimization every 3*5 minutes. Usually OptCycle=2..4 works the best. OptCycle=1 doesn't harm trading process but creates excessive load on your system without TS performance improvement.

Since most optimization code hidden in DLL those who use illegal S26 version cannot take advantage from this feature because it works with activated EA only and it's impossible to decompile and hack DLL as easy as EX4 file.

[Admin]

These features are for experienced traders with advanced computer skills!

Automatic news release stop/resume
Those of you who knows how important appropriate trading schedule is will appreciate a new S26 feature. There is no longer necessary watch for economic news calendar and manually program trading system to stop at major volatility periods.

1. Run FXBMT4 Utility and switch to News tab
2. Check the currencies your S26 works with (usually EUR, CHF and sometimes USD)
3. Check the news you want to see in the calendar (usually high and medium)
4. Click a Download the news button.
5. In few seconds a table will refresh with a calendar for upcoming or current week.
6. Low impact news are marked with a single star, medium with two and high with three stars
7. First event of the day is highlighted with a pink color
8. Outdated (old) news text is pale in case Fade past box is checked
9. Check the boxes for news events you want S26 to bypass. You may use Check/Clear all and Check high impact buttons for group operations.
10. Click Exit button

Now in Metatrader root folder a new file fxb_news.dat must appear. It contains the information necessary for EA automatically to stop StopTimeAdvance minutes before news release and resume ResumeTimeDelay minutes later. These settings are 60 and 30 minutes respectively and may be changed on S26 tab of FXB Utility.

• Run MT4 and go to the chart where S26 is attached.
• Go to EA settings and set StopResumeAuto= true. It overrides all other stop/resume settings like StopResumeManual and StopTime/ResumeTime.
• If StopResumeAuto= true, StopResumeManual is set to false.
• StopResumeAuto is internally set to false if:
  • fxb_news.dat does not exist
  • If during news reading an error occurred
  • During testing or optimization. The feature works during real-time trading only.

Troubleshooting

Floating-point error may appear in case news file is in older format. Just quit FXBMTUT.EXE and remove fxb_news.dat. The news fill will be automatically re-created after 'Download the news' button click.


Binary file with news data is unavailable. Do what prompt says


Firewall informs you that FXB Utility is trying to download news data. In case to get those you must enable that access.

News update
It's enough to perform news file update once a week during weekend so the file contain only data for next 5 trading days. The updated data for next week are usually available on-line about Sunday noon USA Eastern Time.

News impact
Don't trust much to news releaser estimation too much. Some releases may be marked as medium but has a high impact or vise versa. Compare old news releases with charts and create your own set of rules. Note, that excluding too much news reduces your profit because market volatility is a fuel for trading system.

Time zone
A combo box with time zone list selection doesn't affect trading or optimization. It's a convenience feature and you may select a time zone that most fit your needs.

[Admin]

S26 experiment

The question which mode, #2 or #3 works better and is more stable is still unsolved. I began an experiment on Forex.com real mini account to find out how differently configured two instances of the same system will perform with the same broker and same data. S26 MagNumShift parameter allows us to trade the same pair on same account by with different Metatrader instances.
What I did:

• I had already running MT4 with S26 in Mode #3. It is located in \Forex.com\ folder. MagNumShift is zero for this EA
• I have created an empty \Forex.com2\ folder and copied to there all files and directories from \Forex.com\ except OPT\ folder. It's not needed there.
• I have ran a second MT4 and typed in a password for account to make in active.
• I have ran Strategy Tester, loaded s26-default-mode2-hedge.set file into EA and optimized S26 in Mode#2 for September 1-14, 2009 dates.
• Then I've checked if optimized data work fine in Tester, saved those and loaded into S26 that placed on a chart.
• I set MagNumShift=1 in new installation that EA do not mix orders and managed its own only and get it run.

Now I have two Metatraders running with the same account and pair but first in mode #3 and second in mode #2.They don't affect each other because magic numbers are different.

I have a feeling that such experiment result will be better than in case two identical system are running. Guess why?!

[Admin]

The new EA of this class will have a S26xMA index. The latter addition (xMA) was a result of experiment with instruments that trending much (EUR/USD). S26 have a traditional behavior unless BuySell is set to -1. After that the system trades only in direction of prevailing trend that reduces a loss risk significantly.

There are simulation results of EUR/USD trading with MBT real money account for January 3...February 16, 2010. MBT is ECN low spread USA licensed broker (no-hedge, FIFO) that charges commissions for every open/close. Nevertheless, S26 performance during that period was +1000 pips on $1000 mini-account.



To put S26 into this new Mode 4 you have to set BuySell= -1 and find the best settings for new parameters maTimeFrame (30, 30, 60) and maPeriod (9, 1, 21)*. Numbers in brackets are optimization start, step and stop values. Also you may use included into installation s26-default-mode4-nohedge.set file.


If you also have MBT real account you may duplicate the above test by loading s26-mbt-eurusd-xma-2010-0101_0216.set file. Most likely you can adjust the S26 settings for any other similar broker.


* The latest build has TrendTimeFrame, TrendPeriod and TrendHistory parameters. The latter is number of last bars used for trend calculation.