Big BENg EA - User Manual and Installation Guide
Professional Intelligent Grid Trading System for GBPUSD
Welcome to the Big BENg EA User Manual. This comprehensive guide will help you install, configure, and optimize the Expert Advisor for successful GBPUSD trading.
Installation and Setup
Step 1: Download and Install
- Purchase and download Big BENg EA from MQL5 Market
- Open MetaTrader 5 platform
- Go to Navigator panel (Ctrl+N)
- Find Big BENg EA under Market folder in Expert Advisors
- Drag and drop EA onto GBPUSD chart
Step 2: Enable Automated Trading
- Click "AutoTrading" button in MT5 toolbar (or press Alt+T)
- Ensure the button is highlighted/active
- Check that EA shows a smiley face icon in chart corner (not sad face)
Step 3: Initial Configuration
- Right-click on chart and select "Expert Advisors" → "Properties"
- Go to "Inputs" tab to configure parameters
- Start with conservative default settings
- Adjust Magic Number if running multiple EAs
- Enable "Allow DLL imports" and "Allow WebRequest" if needed
Important First-Time Setup Notes:
- ALWAYS start with minimum lot sizes when going live
- Test on demo account first to understand EA behavior
- Ensure GBPUSD symbol is available on your broker
- Verify broker allows automated trading (some brokers restrict EAs)
- Check that your account has sufficient margin for grid operations
Important: Trading Time Configuration
The EA uses session filters to restrict trading hours. The time parameters use your broker's server time (24-hour format), NOT your local time. The default values (Start=1, End=20) are configured for GMT+0 brokers. To find your broker's server time, check the time shown in MetaTrader's Market Watch window. Example: If you want to trade 08:00-17:00 London time and your broker shows GMT+2, set Start=10 and End=19 (add 2 hours). Enable VerboseLogging to verify session start/end messages appear at correct times.
Understanding the Grid System
What is a Grid Trading System?
A grid system places multiple orders at predetermined intervals (grid levels) as price moves against the initial position. This averaging strategy can be profitable when price eventually reverses, but requires careful risk management.
How Big BENg's Grid Works:
- Initial Position: EA identifies high-quality setup using SMC and opens first trade
- Grid Activation: If price moves against position by threshold (ATR-based), grid activates
- Grid Expansion: Additional positions open at calculated distances as price continues against us
- Intelligent Spacing: Distance between levels adapts to market regime (Range, Trend, Strong Trend)
- Unified Exit: All grid positions close together when combined profit reaches take profit target
Three Progression Modes:
- Fixed (Mode 0): All positions same size - most conservative
- Example: 0.02, 0.02, 0.02, 0.02, 0.02
- Best for: Ultra-conservative traders, small accounts
- Additive (Mode 1): Linear increase - recommended balance
- Example: 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08, 0.10
- Best for: Balanced risk-reward, most users
- Multiplier (Mode 2): Exponential growth - aggressive
- Example with 1.5x: 0.02, 0.03, 0.045, 0.068, 0.10
- Best for: Larger accounts, aggressive recovery
Grid System Risks:
- Extended trends can create large drawdowns
- Requires sufficient margin for all grid levels
- Not suitable for small accounts (under 2000 USD)
- Max Grid Risk parameter limits total exposure
- Grid Rescue system helps reduce exposure partially
Input Parameters Explained
TRADE SETUP PARAMETERS
- Magic Number for EA identification (default: 250125)
- Unique identifier for EA's trades
- Change if running multiple EAs on same account
- Each EA instance should have different magic number
- Trade comment (customizable) (default: "Big BENg EA")
- Comment attached to all trades
- Helps identify trades in history
- Can customize for tracking purposes
- Stop Loss in Pips (0 = disabled) (default: 0)
- Stop loss distance in pips
- 0 = disabled (grid manages risk instead)
- Recommended: Keep at 0 for pure grid strategy
- If enabled: Set to 50-100 pips for safety net
- Take Profit in Pips (default: 40)
- Take profit target in pips
- Applied to average entry price of entire grid
- Recommended range: 30-60 pips depending on volatility
- All grid positions close together at this target
- Max trades per day (default: 50)
- Maximum number of trades allowed per day
- Prevents overtrading
- Includes both new entries and grid expansions
- Reset at start of each new day
RISK MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
- Daily loss limit % (default: 26%)
- Maximum daily loss before EA stops trading
- Expressed as percentage of balance
- Recommended: 5-20% for safety
- When exceeded: EA closes all positions immediately and pauses until next day
- Enable/Disable Emergency Position Manager (default: true)
- Emergency position closure system
- Works independently of Stop Loss setting
- Closes individual positions at emergency threshold
- Monitors ALL positions including grid positions
- Recommended: true for additional safety layer
- Emergency close at loss % (default: 5%)
- Loss percentage to trigger emergency close
- Applies to individual positions
- Recommended: 5-10% for balanced protection
LOT SIZING SYSTEM
- Enable automatic lot sizing (default: false)
- true = Automatic account-based lot calculation
- false = Use fixed lot size
- Recommended: false for consistent lot sizes
- Fixed lot size (when AutoLot disabled) (default: 0.01)
- Lot size when Enable automatic lot sizing = false
- Minimum: 0.01 (broker dependent)
- Recommended: 0.01-0.05 for accounts under 5000 USD
- Base lot per $ amount (0.01 lot per X $) (default: 2000.0)
- Only used when Enable automatic lot sizing = true
- Calculates: (Account Value / 2000) * 0.01 lot
- Example: $10,000 account = 0.05 lot base size
- Recommended: 2000-5000 for conservative scaling
- Maximum allowed lot size (default: 10.0)
- Hard cap on lot size regardless of calculation
- Prevents excessive position sizes
- Recommended: 1.0-10.0 depending on account size
GRID SYSTEM
- Enable grid system (default: true)
- Master switch for grid trading functionality
- false = Single position trading only
- Recommended: true for full EA strategy
- Maximum grid levels (default: 20)
- Maximum number of grid positions allowed
- Recommended: 10-20 for balanced approach
- Lower = safer, less drawdown
- Higher = more aggressive recovery
- Base Grid spacing in pips (base distance) (default: 40)
- ONLY used when Use intelligent regime-aware grid spacing = false
- Fixed distance between grid levels
- Recommended: 30-50 pips for GBPUSD
- Grid size multiplier for progressive spacing (default: 1.15)
- Progressive spacing multiplier (each level wider than last)
- Example with 1.15: Level 1 = 40 pips, Level 2 = 46 pips, Level 3 = 53 pips
- Recommended: 1.1-1.3 for balanced spacing
- Maximum total grid risk % (default: 15%)
- Maximum allowed total grid exposure
- EA closes grid when 80% of this limit reached
- Recommended: 10-25% depending on risk tolerance
- Critical safety parameter!
ADAPTIVE GRID SPACING (NEW!)
- Use intelligent regime-aware grid spacing (default: true)
- Enables dynamic grid spacing based on market conditions
- Adjusts spacing for Range, Trend, and Strong Trend markets
- Uses ATR, Bollinger Bands, and Standard Deviation
- Recommended: true for optimal grid adaptation
- Base multiplier for grid distance (default: 1.25)
- Base multiplier applied to volatility score
- Higher = wider grid spacing
- Recommended: 1.0-1.5
- Base Minimum grid spacing (default: 30)
- Minimum allowed grid spacing in pips
- Prevents too-tight grids in low volatility
- Recommended: 25-35 pips
- Base Maximum grid spacing (default: 50)
- Maximum allowed grid spacing in pips
- Prevents excessive spacing in high volatility
- Recommended: 45-60 pips
REGIME-AWARE SPACING (Advanced)
- ATR weight in volatility score (0.0-1.0) (default: 0.55)
- Weight given to ATR in volatility calculation
- Higher = more ATR influence
- Recommended: 0.4-0.7
- Bollinger Bands weight (default: 0.55)
- Weight given to Bollinger Bands width
- Higher = more BB influence
- Recommended: 0.4-0.7
- Standard Deviation weight (default: 0.55)
- Weight given to price standard deviation
- Higher = more StdDev influence
- Recommended: 0.4-0.7
- Grid multiplier for Range market (ADX<25) (default: 1.0)
- Spacing multiplier in ranging markets
- 1.0 = standard spacing
- Lower = tighter grid for choppy markets
- Grid multiplier for Trending market (ADX 25-35) (default: 1.3)
- Spacing multiplier in trending markets
- Higher = wider spacing for trends
- Recommended: 1.2-1.5
- Grid multiplier for Strong Trend (ADX>35) (default: 2.0)
- Spacing multiplier in strong trends
- Much wider spacing to handle strong moves
- Recommended: 1.8-2.5
GRID LOT PROGRESSION
- 0=Fixed, 1=Additive, 2=Multiplier (default: 1)
- 0 (Fixed): All positions same size
- 1 (Additive): Linear increase (RECOMMENDED)
- 2 (Multiplier): Exponential growth (aggressive)
- Multiplier for progression mode 2 (default: 1.25)
- Only used when Grid Progression Mode = 2
- Each level multiplied by this factor
- Recommended: 1.2-1.5 for controlled growth
GRID RESCUE SYSTEM
- Enable Grid-Rescue function (default: true)
- Enables partial grid closing at profit targets
- Reduces exposure while maintaining recovery potential
- Recommended: true for risk management
- Grid size to activate 2-Node rescue (default: 4)
- Minimum grid size to enable 2-position rescue
- Closes top and bottom positions when profitable
- Recommended: 4-6 positions
- Grid size to activate 3-Node rescue (default: 6)
- Minimum grid size to enable 3-position rescue
- Closes top, middle, and bottom positions when profitable
- Recommended: 6-8 positions
HIGH SELECTIVITY FILTERS
- Require H4 trend confirmation (default: true)
- Only trade with higher timeframe trend alignment
- Improves win rate by filtering counter-trend setups
- Recommended: true for quality over quantity
- Require multiple confluences (default: false)
- Requires Order Block + FVG + Structure break
- Extremely selective - fewer but higher quality trades
- Recommended: false (true filters too aggressively)
- Min pips ATR to trade (default: 11.0)
- Minimum volatility required to trade
- Prevents trading in dead markets
- Recommended: 10-15 pips for GBPUSD
- Max pips ATR (avoid news) (default: 35.0)
- Maximum volatility allowed
- Prevents trading during extreme volatility/news
- Recommended: 30-40 pips
- Bars to wait between trades (default: 8)
- Cooldown period after opening position
- Prevents overtrading same setup
- Recommended: 5-10 bars
SMC QUALITY FILTERS
- Min pips for valid Order Block (default: 15)
- Minimum Order Block size to be considered valid
- Filters out weak OBs
- Recommended: 12-20 pips
- Min pips for FVG (default: 9)
- Minimum Fair Value Gap size
- Ensures meaningful imbalances
- Recommended: 8-12 pips
- Max pip spread (default: 20)
- Maximum allowed spread to trade
- Prevents trading with wide spreads
- Recommended: 15-25 pips (adjust for your broker)
STOCHASTIC RSI MOMENTUM FILTER
- Enable Stochastic RSI filter (default: true)
- Uses Stochastic RSI for momentum confirmation
- Buys in oversold, sells in overbought
- Recommended: true for momentum alignment
- Stoch RSI period (default: 20)
- Calculation period for Stochastic RSI
- Recommended: 14-21
- K period (default: 2)
- K smoothing period
- Recommended: 2-5
- D period (default: 3)
- D smoothing period
- Recommended: 3-5
- Oversold level (default: 20)
- Threshold for buy signals
- Recommended: 15-25
- Overbought level (default: 60)
- Threshold for sell signals
- Recommended: 55-75
ADX TREND STRENGTH FILTER
- Enable ADX filter (default: true)
- Uses ADX to identify market regime
- Adapts strategy to Range/Trend/Strong Trend
- Recommended: true for regime awareness
- ADX period (default: 12)
- Calculation period for ADX
- Recommended: 10-14
- ADX > value = Strong Trend (default: 39)
- Threshold for strong trend identification
- Recommended: 35-45
- ADX < value = Range Market (default: 21)
- Threshold for ranging market
- Recommended: 20-25
SESSION & TIME FILTERS
- Use time filter (default: true)
- Restricts trading to specified hours
- Recommended: true to avoid illiquid periods
- Close all trades when time filter ends (default: false)
- Closes all positions at session end
- Only closes if in profit
- Recommended: false (let positions run)
- Start (Broker Time!) (default: 1)
- Session start hour in 24h format
- Uses BROKER SERVER TIME (not local time)
- Default 1 = 01:00 broker time
- End (Broker Time!) (default: 20)
- Session end hour in 24h format
- Uses BROKER SERVER TIME (not local time)
- Default 20 = 20:00 broker time
- Auto-detect GMT offset (default: false)
- Automatically detect broker GMT offset
- Requires adding 'https://www.worldtimeserver.com' to allowed URLs
- Tools → Options → Expert Advisors → Allow WebRequest
- Avoid high-impact news (default: true)
- Avoids trading during news events
- Uses ATR spike detection
- Recommended: true for safety
DEBUGGING
- Enable detailed logs (default: false)
- Prints detailed information to Experts tab
- Useful for troubleshooting
- Recommended: false (enable only when needed)
- Show OB/FVG on chart (default: true)
- Draws Order Blocks and FVGs on chart
- Visual confirmation of SMC analysis
- Recommended: true for learning
- Show grid levels on chart (default: true)
- Draws grid price levels on chart
- Shows grid structure visually
- Recommended: true for monitoring
Grid Rescue System Explained
What is Grid Rescue?
Grid Rescue is a risk management feature that partially closes grid positions when specific clusters reach take profit. Instead of waiting for the entire grid to be profitable, it takes partial profits and reduces exposure.
2-Node Rescue (Smaller Grids):
- Triggers when grid reaches Grid size to activate 2-Node rescue (default: 4 positions)
- Closes: Top position (newest/worst) + Bottom position (oldest/best)
- Condition: Combined profit of these 2 positions ≥ Take Profit target
- Result: Reduces exposure by 2 positions while keeping middle ones
3-Node Rescue (Larger Grids):
- Triggers when grid reaches Grid size to activate 3-Node rescue (default: 6 positions)
- Closes: Top + Middle + Bottom positions
- Middle position calculated dynamically based on grid size
- Condition: Combined profit of these 3 positions ≥ Take Profit target
- Result: Reduces exposure by 3 positions
Middle Position Calculation:
- Grid size 1-6: Middle = Grid Size - 2
- Grid size 7-9: Middle = Grid Size - 3
- Grid size 10+: Middle = Grid Size - 4
Benefits of Grid Rescue:
- Reduces total exposure during deep drawdowns
- Takes partial profits while maintaining recovery potential
- Systematic risk reduction without manual intervention
- Can trigger multiple times as grid continues
Smart Money Concepts (SMC) Explained
What are Smart Money Concepts?
SMC is a trading methodology based on institutional order flow and market structure. Big BENg uses SMC to identify high-probability entry points before activating the grid system.
Order Blocks (OB):
- Zones where institutional orders are placed
- Identified by strong price moves away from consolidation
- EA marks these zones on chart when Show OB/FVG on chart = true
- Trade entries occur when price returns to these zones
Fair Value Gaps (FVG):
- Price imbalances created by rapid institutional moves
- Three-candle patterns with gaps in middle candle
- Price often returns to "fill" these gaps
- Used as entry trigger zones
Confluence Requirements:
When Require multiple confluences = true, EA requires:
- Valid Order Block present
- Fair Value Gap aligned with trade direction
- Market structure break confirmation
- Optional: H4 trend alignment if Require H4 trend confirmation = true
Risk Management Best Practices
Account Size Guidelines:
- Minimum: 2000 USD for conservative settings
- Recommended: 5000 USD for balanced approach
- Optimal: 10000+ USD for full strategy potential
Leverage Requirements:
- Minimum: 1:100 for grid operations
- Recommended: 1:200 for comfort margin
- Warning: Higher leverage increases risk
Position Sizing Rules:
- Start with 0.01-0.02 lot for initial positions
- Keep Maximum total grid risk % below 20% of balance
- Enable Emergency Position Manager for additional safety
- Set Daily loss limit % to 10-20% maximum
Monitoring and Maintenance:
- Check EA daily for proper operation
- Monitor maximum drawdown levels
- Review closed trades weekly for performance
- Adjust parameters based on market conditions
- Keep terminal running 24/7 (use VPS recommended)
Warning Signs:
- Drawdown exceeding Maximum total grid risk % setting
- Multiple failed grid rescues
- Frequent Emergency Manager activations
- Daily loss limit % being hit regularly
- Action: Reduce risk parameters or pause EA
Troubleshooting
EA Not Opening Trades:
- Check AutoTrading is enabled (green button)
- Verify session times are set in broker server time (not local time)
- Check if Max trades per day limit reached
- Verify ATR is within Min/Max range
- Check spread is below Max pip spread
- Enable Enable detailed logs to see detailed reasons
Grid Not Activating:
- Verify Enable grid system = true
- Check if Maximum total grid risk % limit already reached
- Ensure position has moved against entry by activation threshold
- Review logs for grid activation messages
Grid Not Closing at Take Profit:
- Verify Take Profit in Pips is not set to 0
- Check if combined grid profit reaches target (view dashboard)
- Ensure all positions have unified TP set
- Review Grid Rescue settings (may close partially)
- Note: Grid closes at 80% of Maximum total grid risk % for safety
High Spread Errors:
- Increase Max pip spread parameter
- Consider switching to low-spread broker
- Avoid trading during high-volatility periods
Insufficient Margin Errors:
- Reduce Maximum grid levels
- Lower base lot size or AutoLotBasePer
- Increase account balance
- Check broker leverage settings
EA Showing Sad Face Icon:
- AutoTrading disabled - click AutoTrading button
- EA has errors - check Experts tab for error messages
- Reattach EA to chart with correct settings
Positions Not Reconstructed After Restart:
- Verify Magic Number for EA identification matches existing positions
- Check if positions are on correct symbol (GBPUSD)
- Enable Enable detailed logs to see reconstruction process
- EA only reconstructs positions with matching magic number
Daily Loss Limit Triggered Unexpectedly:
- Check Daily loss limit % setting (default: 26%)
- EA will close ALL positions when limit exceeded
- Trading pauses until next day automatically
- This is a safety feature, not a bug
Final Notes
Important Reminders:
- Grid trading requires patience and discipline
- Not every trade will be profitable immediately
- Drawdowns are normal part of grid strategy
- Never trade with money you cannot afford to lose
- Monitor EA regularly but avoid micromanaging
- Trust the system and let it work over time
Success Tips:
- Start conservative, increase risk gradually
- Keep trading journal to track performance
- Review weekly statistics to identify patterns
- Adjust parameters seasonally (volatility changes)
- Stay informed about GBPUSD fundamentals
- Join trading community for shared experiences
Thank you for choosing Big BENg EA. We wish you successful and profitable trading!
Version: 1.3
Last Updated: October 2025
For: MetaTrader 5
Symbol: GBPUSD Only
