MA Crossover Strategy not starting

ctrout

I am testing your trial version on ctrader desktop with non-broker demo account. The optimization works as well as backtesting. When I select the best fit and hit "Apply", the parameters update successfully. But when I start the strategy (blue button with arrow), it just sits there with its orange "running" button without ever opening a trade. I'm not even certain as to whether or not the strategy needs the indicators actually residing on the chart (because it runs ALL permutations of indicators in Optimization without a chart), but I have tried running with/without the pertinent indicators on the chart...just will not open a trade, even after multiple crossovers over long periods of time. Is there any chance that my trial version is limited to optimizing and backtesting? Other bots run and trade on this desktop...both pre-installed free downloads from spotware. The Clickalgo license pop-up opens when I hit the start button, showing the Machine License Key. I hit "Next" and it appears to close without error. However I do notice that it does not pop up with Optimization or Backtesting. [https://t.me/cTrader_ClickAlgo/32651]**

https://clickalgo.com/moving-average-cbot

Mike

Hi, thanks for reporting this, in order to investigate I need your cBot settings.

How to export cBot Settings

Also, I will need the UTC setting that you can see on the bottom right of cTrader and also the cBot log as well as your account size.

How to export the cBot log

Important
All our trading systems have the indicators built into the cBot and they use the cBot settings, any indicators you put on the chart are just for reference and you will need to have the exact settings as the cBot settings.

Try using a lot size of 0.01 if you have a low account balance or the trade will be refused by cTrader, you cBot log will give you more information.

Mike

After a quick look, your indicator settings on the chart are incorrect, your chart should look like below, the white vertical line is where you started the cBot

Please provide the information above so I can investigate further.

There is an additional setting for these indicators like shift, you need to leave these at the default values as the system does not yet support them.

ctrout

OK, New scenario because it is working. I will re-post this as a new subject if you think I should. I have made the common troubleshooting error of changing too many things at once, so I can't report back the actual problem I was having. I think that testing with H1 is a little too time consuming and maybe I got impatient and didn't allow enough time to pass. I also removed the shifts in my visual overlay indicators as you suggested. I thought it was making the chart look better, but was likely out of sorts with the actual program.

So moving on, I'm UTC-4 and pasted and attached is a working setup. It's using M15(so I can see quicker results) and a Time Series and looks very sawtooth and wild, but the optimization had it as best fit with 119 out of 119 winning trades in a month, and is doing well so far after a day and a half.

My new question:
In this setup, there is a Trailing Stop set to trigger after 4 pips of movement, re-setting every 2 pips(just stating...that's not what I'm questioning). In the General Settings, SL(pips) is set at 0.1 pips. My question is, what does that mean?...Is appears that that is not a literal (for lack of a better word) setting, like 0=No SL, 0.1=?.....OR, is the unit actually NOT pips and instead, 0.1 means 10,000 units?

The current trade in the attached pic and pasted bot settings shows this SL=0.1 setting, while in the chart you can see that no SL has been set and the trade has moved 18 pips against me. I do understand that the Trailing SL kicks in after positive movement, so I'm not questioning that. But what about the SL=0.1?

This is a demo account, and I'm just trying to understand the parameters.

Log:

23/04/2021 12:30:00.667 | GBPUSD (Bid: 1.38495, Ask: 1.38499) - SELL - fast MA crossed below slow MA
23/04/2021 12:30:00.667 | → Executing Market Order to Sell 50000 GBPUSD (SL: 0.1) SUCCEEDED, Position PID30004316
23/04/2021 12:30:00.198 | Executing Market Order to Sell 50000 GBPUSD (SL: 0.1)

[ChartParameters]
Symbol = GBPUSD
Timeframe = m15

[cBotParameters]
AutoTrading = True
InstanceName = 002
Lotsize = 0.5
StopLossPips = 0.1
TakeProfitPips = 0
CloseOnCrossover = False
MA1Period = 3
MA1Type = 2
MA1Source = Close
MA2Period = 23
MA2Type = 4
MA2Source = Close
IncludeTrailingStop = True
TrailingStopTrigger = 4
TrailingStopStep = 2
IncludeTradingHours = False
TradingStartTime = 09:00
TradingStopTime = 13:00
IncludeEmail = False
EmailAddress = email@gmail.com
IncludePopup = False
IncludeTelegramNotifications = False
BotToken = 
ChatID =

Mike

Take some time to learn about stop losses below.

https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/021815/how-do-i-place-stop-loss-order.asp

If you set a stop loss at 0.1 pips, it means if the price goes against you by 0.1 pips the trade will close, your spread will be higher than 0.1 pips, so it will close as it opens.

Have a read about our trailing stop loss and how it works below.

https://clickalgo.com/trailing-stop-step-definition

Your stop loss was not set as it was too low, try something like 10 pips for your symbol.

The stop loss must be much higher then your spread.

The trailing stop will only work when you are 4 pips in profit

ctrout

I am absolutely not an expert, but do get the basics of stop losses. Please read a little more gently, and try to understand what I am asking, and differentiate that from what I am NOT asking before you assume that I'm an idiot. You just sent me an investopedia link on "What is a Stop Order" (!?). Several optimized, best-fit, 100% successful trade setups I've derived from the optimizer using THIS software, specifying Stop loss(pips) as either "0" (which is non, or off) or "0.1" or "0.3" and was asking what it means. It is not MY setting. If "0.1" is a nonsense scenario, then why is it being output from the MA Strategy code and the Optimizer? I would never consider a tenth of a pip as a stop-loss, and don't know of a scenario where I would. Not sure why the MA Strategy software and optimizer would derive this, and THIS WAS MY QUESTION, and not "WHAT IS A STOP ORDER?", but I'm getting a lot of scenarios of "0.1", "0.3" output from YOUR SOFTWARE and Ctrader Optimizer. OK, so change it, right? But the optimized result consists of inter-dependent data, so change and re-test, right? Then I have to wonder what else that is not obvious to be is a nonsense scenario, as I am not a programmer. Thanks for your help. Moving on to something else.

Mike

Hi, ctrout, my intention was to help you, if you use a stop loss lower than your spread no stop loss will be placed and even if you set a stop loss at 1 pip and your broker did accept the trade it would close as soon as you lose 1 pip.

The problem you are having is that you could be entering the wrong values into the cTrader optimiser, try using 5-100 step 1 and not step 0.1, the issue is not our software, but instead the values that come out of the optimisation module from the values you enter.

ctrout

First off, I have already decided that I will not buy this software.

But still a little frustrated about your hardheadedness in understanding what I am trying to communicate here.
PLEASE stop trying to explain the theory of the stop loss. OK?
What I had been doing was:
1) Add an instance of of pair and a timeframe in ctrader from your bot
2) Without making any changes, Optimize.
3) The results, from the Best Fit to the Worst, when applied, show derived stop loss values of "0", "0.1", "0.2", "0.3"
It was not apparent to me that I would need to set that value prior to optimization, as some combination of your bot and the optimizer is deriving that value(as well as take profit, trailing stop order, and everything else).
I also must mention that Stop Loss is every bit a part of a MA Crossover strategy as whether you use a VIDYA MA or Triangular MA, so my first choice would not be to tell it what SL value to use. After all, spread is not the only consideration...another would be one's risk tolerance. And I would also imagine that there would be a multitude of considerations regarding stop loss interdependent with the strategy. These were my first options that seemed apparent to me...to allow the bot and optimizer to derive it.

...KEEP READING...

So, having said that, I did what you said and entered my own value of 5 pips after adding a new instance, then optimized. The results? Same thing. Everything Applied from Best Fit to the worst applies stop loss values of "0", "0.1", "0.2", "0.3". SO no matter what I enter as stop loss prior to optimization, ANY applied optimized result overwrites the value with these nonsense SL values in the tenths of pips.

If you have been paying close enough attention, this is the my question from the previous day...Why?

My question is NOT "what is a stop loss?", or "How can I change the optimized bot values manually to make it work better?"

The question is, Why? Why is the optimized result of this bot deriving nonsense values of "0", "0.1", "0.2", "0.3"?

"I don't know" is a perfectly reasonable answer, and if you don't know, just say it. I will not be buying this bot anyway. But just please resist the arrogant temptation to insult me when you don't know the answer to a question about your bot. You are human. You do not have to know the answer to everything. I forgive you.

Mike

Ok, now I see your problem, you would need to post your question to Spotware support below, how the platform optimises your results are not controlled by the MA trading system and unfortunately we would not be able to provide an answer to why the cTrader optimiser is doing this.

https://ctrader.com/forum/calgo-support

If you are entering optimisation values for the stop loss of 5-100 with a step of 1 and it is still giving you 0,1 results then there will be a bug in the trading platforms software and cTrader will need to know about this.

Please accept my apologies if I misunderstood your question form the start.

ctrout

Maybe something that is tripping you up is that, each day you see the title of this thread:
MA Crossover Strategy not starting

But that's not the case anymore. On day 2 I said:
OK, New scenario because it is working. I will re-post this as a new subject if you think I should.

I should've just started a new thread. Since that point I have been trying to understand the SL values coming out of the strategy and optimizer.

If you are dealing with a thousand issues a day, and then each day you encounter my "MA Crossover Strategy not starting" title as a mental starting point for me, then It is probably my fault for not starting a new thread.

All water under the bridge at this point

ctrout

OK fair enough