cTrader Time zone Offset Confusion

Gaurav

I optimize the setting based on server time (London) UTC +0

My cTrader app sets to UTC +0 to have the same timezone as per the optimized bot.

When I run the bot it executes orders in the local timezone which is UTC +4.

How to run the bot at an optimized timezone than the local timezone? Please advise.

Gaurav

7:49 AM order should have been executed between 11 AM - 12 PM as per UTC +0

8:50 AM order should have been executed between 12 PM - 1 PM as per UTC +0

Gaurav

The bottom line is I wanna forward test each bot on an hourly basis to find the real winners so it's very crucial for me to understand the optimized bot timezone vs the running bot timezone, whether they are same or not so I can adjust things accordingly.

Sebastian

Which bots are you talking about?

if you are backtesting you need to use server time.

https://clickalgo.com/backtest-trading-hours

What do you mean by running a bot an an optimised timezone?

Gaurav

RSI bot I am using.

While optimizing, I am choosing to optimize for certain hours only, (ex: 10 AM - 11 AM server time UTC +0).

Now while running the same bot I want that bot to run at that specified optimized time (ex: 10 AM - 11 AM server time UTC +0) and not the whole day.

Sophia

Your timezone bottom left is red is that it's incorrect, adjust it to your actual timezone until it goes white then the trade times will match.

Read the link Sebastian gave you, unless you are using trading hours in your bot you don't need to use +UTC 0

Just fix your cTrader Timezone offset.

https://help.ctrader.com/ctrader/interface/user-time-offset/

You can contact Spotware for further clarification.

Gaurav

Thanks, Sophie for the clarification, I have set the local timezone to +4 and it turns white now.

But confusion remains when I """""""OPTIMIZE""""""" RSI bot and tell the bot to strictly find the best RSI setting for 1 hour (ex: 10 AM - 11 AM server time UTC +0) does optimizer find setting on UTC +0 timezone or my local timezone......?

I assume above answer is UTC +0 timezone, if yes, then why while running bot is executing order at local timezone.

Sophia

Can you share a screenshot of this parameter?

If you are using trading hours then you follow the link below as Sebastian shared.

https://clickalgo.com/backtest-trading-hours

When you backtest you set UTC to 0, when you trade normally you set it to your local PC offset.

Gaurav

Thanks Sophia, for your help and support.

Please find the RSI setting parameter.

Does that mean I must manually reverse 4 hours to the bot config?

Sophia

No, you do not need to do anything, when you trade it uses your PC time.

If you do not want to trade between 08:00 to 12:00, this is what you enter.

It is only backtesting that you need to set the platform offset to UTC+0 because their servers are located in the timezone.

Gaurav

Im sorry, I'm more confused now.

If I am optimizing to find the best RSI setting between 11 AM to 12 PM (as per UTC +0).

When I load the bot in ctrader desktop app that has (now) UTC +4, how will the bot know that the below parameter is for UTC +0 and not UTC +4...?
Can you please double-check, once again?

As per a few existing orders open at the wrong timing, I think I need to change bot settings before loading for live trading from 11-12 to 7-8 AM in the above scenario. Please confirm.

Sophia

Your solution is simple.

When you optimise and then backtest using server time, this will give you the trading times for your settings in UTC+0 or GMT, you then find out what these are for your local timezone.

If your optimise settings show 08:00 and 12:00, this will be for UK GMT, you just find out the equivalent for your local timezone, if its 4 hours ahead then it will be 12:00 and 16:00

I think that's what you have been trying to say.

PS: If you are using a VPS, you need to use the VPS location timezone.

Gaurav

Thanks for confirming and that's exactly the confusion I was puzzled with.

Adjust UTC +0 to local time while trading. Much appreciate your patience and support.