A multi-pair, multi-timeframe dashboard that reads what the market is actually doing... not just what price looks like.
Available here:
MT4:
https://www.mql5.com/en/market/product/176872/
MT5:
https://www.mql5.com/en/market/product/176873/
What Is It?
This PVSRA Screener is for real-time market analysis.
so instead of manually checking charts one by one, you get a live command center that tells you the market phase, volume intent, trend state, and nearest price structure all in one glance.
Features at a Glance
- Multi-pair, multi-timeframe scanner dashboard... monitors everything at once
- PVA (Price Volume Analysis)... detects Climax and Rising volume candles in real time
- The Dragon EMA... configurable trend anchor (default 50 EMA of Typical price, HLC/3)
- 200 EMA trend filter... separates bull regime from bear regime for each pair
- 89 EMA Momentum Slope... confirms natural momentum is present before signaling
- Round number proximity (Whole .00, Half .50, Quarter .25/.75 levels)
- Stop Hunt detection... identifies MM traps at key S&R levels
- Squat pattern... spots high-volume absorption bars with narrow range
- Run Exhaustion... warns when price is overextended from the Dragon
- Accumulation and Distribution phase identification
- Wave check (Higher Lows for longs / Lower Highs for shorts)
- Session filter... highlights active trading hours with different colors
- Untested Daily and Weekly price magnets... tracks whether key highs and lows have been visited
- M1 Cross-TF Volume gate... optional confirmation that lower timeframe volume aligns
- Color-coded action priority... from neutral gray to bright lime green for the highest probability setups
- Configurable alerts for every setup type independently
- Two scanner modes: Trend Mode and Retracement Mode
- Fully customizable colors, EMA periods, volume thresholds, and proximity settings
Understanding the Dashboard Layout
Each cell in the dashboard corresponds to one pair + one timeframe combination. Inside each cell, there are six rows of information stacked vertically:
| Row | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Row 1: Dragon Cross/Touch | When price last crossed or touched the Dragon EMA, which direction, and detailed slope info (e.g. 5.2 Strong). |
| Row 2: Trend & Location | When the Dragon last crossed the 200 EMA, how many bars ago, plus distance to nearest S&R level in pips |
| Row 3: Volume Activity | Most recent PVA signal... how many bars ago, the volume intensity multiplier, and distance to the anchor candle open |
| Row 4: Setup Label | The main verdict... what the market is doing right now in one clean label |
| Row 5: Session/Wave | Session Status (ON/OFF), Wave structure (HL/LH/NoWave), and 89 EMA momentum slope value |
| Row 6: Price Magnets | Whether Daily or Weekly highs/lows are untested... shown in gold when active, silver when all have been tested |
Background Color Meaning
The background of each cell tells you the overall market phase at a glance before you even read the text:
| Color | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Dark Green | Bullish setup... Dragon above the 200 EMA, and price touching or recently crossed above the Dragon. Optional High Volume gate ensures highlight only appears during Climax (2.0x) activity. |
| Dark Red | Bearish setup... Dragon below the 200 EMA, and price touching or recently crossed below the Dragon. Optional High Volume gate ensures highlight only appears during Climax (2.0x) activity. |
| Teal/Cyan | Contradictory Intention (Accumulation)... trend is Bearish but Bullish Volume (Climax or Rising) appeared. smart money may be building longs during a downtrend. If PriceDragon_OppositeTrend is enabled, this highlight warns you to stop selling. |
| Purple/Magenta | Contradictory Intention (Distribution)... trend is Bullish but Bearish Volume (Climax or Rising) appeared. smart money may be exiting or building shorts. If PriceDragon_OppositeTrend is enabled, this warns you to stop buying even if price is above the Dragon. |
| Orange/Brown | Climax Run or Exhaustion... price is running hard and far from the Dragon |
| Dark Slate Gray | Momentum divergence... trend direction and 89 EMA slope point opposite ways. Reduce size or wait for resolution. |
| Neutral / No background | Dragon is flat (isDragonFlat = true)... no valid slope. Scout signals are suppressed regardless of trend regime. |
| Blue (Row 5) | Trading Session is ON |
| Gray (Row 5) | Trading Session is OFF (Outside of Start/End range) |
The Setup Labels... What Every Signal Means
Row 4 is the heart of the scanner. Here is every label you will see and what it tells you:
READY (L)... Scout Long
All three core conditions are met for a long trade: the Dragon EMA is above the 200 EMA (bullish trend), price has pulled back to touch the Dragon, and a Climax Bull volume candle has appeared at or near a key round number (.00, .50, or .25/.75 level). The Dragon is not flat. This is the standard Sonic R. entry signal.
READY (S)... Scout Short
Mirror image of the above for short trades. Dragon is below 200 EMA, price retests the Dragon from below, Climax Bear volume at a key level, Dragon has a downward slope.
FULL SETUP (L) / FULL SETUP (S)... High Probability Scout
Everything that makes READY (L) or READY (S) true, plus the M1 chart is also showing a Climax or Rising volume candle in the same direction at the same moment. This is the strongest signal the scanner can produce. It means the setup is confirmed by a lower timeframe as well. Color is bright lime green or red to make it stand out immediately.
This signal matters because of a critical concept in PVSRA: a higher-timeframe bullish Climax candle can actually be institutional distribution if the volume is concentrated at the top of the sub-candles within it. On the H1 chart you see a green candle with massive volume... bullish, right? But if the bulk of that volume happened in M1 candles near the high of the H1 bar, MMs were selling into the buying, not accumulating. Enabling UseMTFVolumeCheck acts as a "Truth Filter" for exactly this situation... it only upgrades to FULL SETUP when M1 volume is also bullish (concentrated at the bottom of the move, showing real accumulation). If M1 does not confirm, the scanner stays at READY rather than falsely upgrading.
ACCUM... Accumulation
A Bull Climax or Rising Bull volume candle is appearing, but price is currently below a key round number level. This means MMs are likely building long positions in the zone before pushing price up through that level. It is not yet a trade entry, but it is a heads-up that buying pressure is building.
DIST... Distribution
The opposite: a Bear Climax or Rising Bear candle is appearing above a key level. MMs may be offloading longs or building short positions above that structure. Again, not a direct entry signal but a warning that selling pressure is accumulating.
The Contradictory Climax... the Most Important Background Warning When a Climax candle opposes the current trend, the scanner overrides the cell background to Purple (Distribution) or Teal (Accumulation). This is not a label... it is a full background takeover that announces: MM intent does not match the trend direction right now. Example: You are in a Bullish trend (Dragon above 200 EMA, dark green cell) and a Bear Climax candle fires. The background turns Purple. What this means in PVSRA terms: MMs are selling into buying pressure at this level. They are distributing their longs to retail buyers who are confidently bullish. Price is still above the Dragon, everything "looks" bullish... but the smart money is exiting. The scanner is telling you to not buy, even though all the structural conditions appear to say long. The same logic in reverse: a Bear trend with a Bull Climax turns the cell Teal... MMs may be accumulating longs below a key level while the crowd is bearish. This is not a buy signal by itself; it is a warning that the bear trend may be losing backing from smart money. Wait for a READY (L) after the background clears rather than fighting it from the short side.
STP HUNT B... Stop Hunt Buy
A Bull Climax candle appeared where the low pierced below a key round number level but the close came back above it... or the current price is back above the level. This is the classic MM stop hunt: they pushed price below the level to trigger stop losses from long traders, then reversed hard. The buy signal here often has very strong follow-through because the stops have been cleared.
STP HUNT S... Stop Hunt Sell
Same idea for shorts. A Bear Climax candle spiked above a key level to hunt buy-side stops, then closed back below. Price rejection at a level combined with a climax candle is one of the highest-conviction signals in PVSRA analysis.
SQUAT (B) / SQUAT (S)... Market Maker Absorption
A high volume candle with an unusually narrow range. The technical trigger is a dual check: the scanner computes Value2 = volume × bar range (the "volume-spread product"). A Squat fires when Value2 is at the highest reading in the last 10 bars while the candle's actual body is narrow... meaning enormous effort (volume) produced almost no movement (range). Optionally, the raw volume crossing the Climax threshold can also trigger it. The key distinction from a Climax is intent: the Climax moves price; the Squat doesn't. This happens when MMs are absorbing everything retail traders throw at the market to prevent price from moving against their intended direction. A Squat Bull means buying interest is overwhelming selling pressure at that level... and vice versa for a Squat Bear.
What makes the Squat particularly useful is its predictive value. When MMs are absorbing at a level, they are clearing out all remaining retail orders before making their real move. A Squat at a support level often precedes a violent upward continuation because all the sellers have been absorbed. A Squat at resistance often precedes a sharp reversal downward for the same reason. Think of it as the moment just before a compressed spring releases... price appears stuck, but enormous directional force is building underneath.
The Squat is also a reliable exit signal when it appears near your target. If you are long and approaching an untested D1 high, a SQUAT (B) appearing right at that level means MMs may be offloading longs into that buying pressure. That is a clean reason to book profits or tighten your stop aggressively rather than waiting for the full target.
CLMX RUN (B) / CLMX RUN (S)... Climax Run
Price is already extended away from the Dragon (beyond the configured ATR distance threshold) and a Climax candle is appearing. This means a trend is accelerating with heavy volume. It can indicate the start of a big breakout move or the very late stages of an existing run... context matters. Do not enter blind; check whether price is exiting a consolidation or already in a wide range extension.
RUN (Exit)... Run Exhaustion
Price is very far from the Dragon (more than 2x ATR away) and a Climax candle is appearing. This is a warning that the move may be ending. Existing profitable trades should consider tightening stops. New entries against this signal are high risk.
STARK (B) / STARK (S)... Bounce from Extremes
A Climax volume candle appearing after a sharp move where price is extended. This often indicates a deep stop hunt or a major bounce from macro support/resistance.
Row 5 in Detail... Sonic R. Context
This row runs three checks simultaneously and compresses them into a short readable string. Here is what each part means:
Session Label (ON / OFF)
Tells you whether the trade session is currently active based on your Session Start Hour and Session End Hour inputs (Broker Time). Trading within ON hours ensures you are participating when institutional volume is typically present. Signals during OFF hours carry a lower probability of follow-through and are highlighted with a gray background in Row 5.
Wave Label (HL / LH / NoWave)
Checks the last two bars for the structural wave condition. For a long trade to have full structural backing, you want to see a Higher Low forming... meaning the most recent pullback low is higher than the previous one (HL). For a short, you want a Lower High (LH). If neither is present, the label shows NoWave. The text color turns green when the wave direction aligns with the trend, and stays gray if it does not.
Momentum Value (M: +X.X)
The average per-bar slope of the 89 EMA over the last few bars, expressed in pips per bar. A positive value means the 89 EMA is rising... momentum is to the upside. A negative value means it is declining. If you have a bullish trend (Dragon above 200 EMA) but the 89 EMA slope is negative, the row background will shift to dark slate gray as a warning that momentum has stalled and a long entry carries more risk than usual.
Row 6 in Detail... Price Magnets
Daily and Weekly price extremes (previous session highs and lows) are powerful reference points. Price frequently gravitates toward these levels before reversing. Think of them as scheduled appointments... the market almost always visits yesterday's high or low and last week's high or low before it commits to a new direction. The scanner tracks four of them: yesterday's high, yesterday's low, last week's high, and last week's low.
If the current bar has not yet reached the previous Daily high or low, those levels are considered "untested magnets"... shown as Unt: D1 in gold. If the Weekly extreme is also untested, you will see Unt: D1 W1. Once all four have been touched (tested), the row shows All Magnets Tested in silver, meaning no obvious gravitational pull exists from those reference levels right now.
A critical concept related to magnets is the **Reload**. After price tests a Daily or Weekly extreme and bounces, it very frequently returns to that same level a second time. This second visit is often where the cleanest READY signals appear... the level has already proven it attracted a reaction, the magnet status has reset (the scanner tracks the entire current period high/low, so once hit, it stays tested for the remainder of the day/week), and now price approaches again with a confirmed trend and Dragon slope. Watching for READY signals at recently-tested magnet levels that price is revisiting is one of the most reliable repeating patterns in this system.
TIP: A READY (L) signal combined with an untested D1 low nearby means price may want to sweep that low before rallying. Consider placing stops just below the untested magnet level rather than below the Dragon. If that D1 low gets swept and price closes back above it, check for a STP HUNT B signal... a sweep-and-recover at a magnet level is one of the highest quality entries the scanner identifies.
How the Calculations Work... Behind the Scenes
This section explains what happens inside the scanner on every tick so you understand exactly why a particular label appears.
Step 1: Volume Analysis (PVA)
For each bar, the scanner calculates an average volume over the last N bars (default 10, configurable). It also computes a second measure called Value2... which is the current bar's volume multiplied by its high-low range. This two-dimensional check is more reliable than raw volume alone because a high-volume narrow candle (Squat) behaves very differently from a high-volume wide candle (Climax Run).
The bar is classified as:
- Climax Bull/Bear if Value2 is the highest seen in the last 10 bars, OR if current volume is 2x the average (configurable multiplier)
- Rising Bull/Bear if volume is 1.5x the average (configurable) but does not meet the Climax threshold
- Direction (Bull vs Bear) is determined by whether the close is above or below the open
Step 2: The Dragon EMA... Your Trend Anchor
The Dragon is a moving average of your choice (default: 50 EMA of Typical price... HLC/3, meaning (High+Low+Close)/3). It acts as a dynamic support and resistance line that slopes with the trend. Typical price is used rather than Close or Median (HL/2) because it incorporates the closing price while still smoothing out wick extremes... this gives the Dragon better stability on instruments with frequent intraday spikes. The scanner checks three things about it:
- Is price currently touching the Dragon? (High is above AND Low is below the Dragon value... a wick touch counts, full body cross is not required)
- Is price cleanly above the Dragon, or cleanly below?
- Is the Dragon sloping, or is it flat? Flat Dragon entries are filtered out by default because they lack directional conviction
The slope is measured by comparing the Dragon value now versus N bars ago (default 3 bars), converted to pips per bar. If the absolute slope is below the minimum threshold (default 0.5 pips/bar), the Dragon is considered flat and no Scout signals will fire... the cell background will revert to neutral.
A practical way to visualize whether a Dragon slope is valid is the clock analogy. Imagine the Dragon line as a clock hand. For a valid long entry, the Dragon should be angled toward 1 o'clock or 2 o'clock. For a valid short, it should be angled toward 4 o'clock or 5 o'clock. If it is pointing straight across (9 o'clock / 3 o'clock), that is a flat Dragon... the slope filter will suppress the signal and the cell will show no Setup label in Row 4 even if the trend and volume conditions are technically met. This is intentional. Trading a flat Dragon is one of the most common sources of false PVSRA signals.
On the cross type: the scanner uses the High/Low method by default, meaning any candle whose wick reaches the Dragon level qualifies as a price-Dragon touch. You do not need a body close beyond the Dragon. This matches real PVSRA practice... a shadow that tags the Dragon and reverses is as valid a pullback entry as a full body cross.
Step 3: The Trend Filter... 200 EMA
The 200 EMA of closing price defines the macro regime. Dragon above the 200 EMA = bullish regime. Dragon below the 200 EMA = bearish regime. For high-probability Trend Mode setups, the Dragon must be on the correct side of the 200 EMA. This filter strictly eliminates counter-trend noise during deep pullbacks.
Step 4: Round Number Proximity
Price levels ending in .00 are Whole numbers. Levels ending in .50 are Halves. Levels at .25 and .75 are Quarters. These act as magnetic S&R zones where institutional orders tend to cluster. The scanner calculates the pip distance from current price to the nearest level of each type. If that distance is within the proximity threshold (default 10 pips), the pair is flagged as being "at" that level... which is required for Scout and Stop Hunt verdicts to trigger.
For scalping on M1 and M5, Quarter levels (.25 and .75) are particularly important. Intraday swings very commonly stall and reverse at these sub-levels, often leaving no trace on higher timeframes. Keeping SR Level Priority set to All (the default) ensures all four level types are tracked. Swing and position traders can narrow to Whole & Half to reduce noise... but for any fast-timeframe work, leave it on All.
Step 5: Verdict Logic... The Decision Tree
With all the above data collected, the verdict is calculated in a strict priority order:
- Squat check first... if volume is 2x+ average AND range is less than half the 20-bar ATR, it is a Squat regardless of anything else
- Stop Hunt... if Climax Bear spiked above a key level and closed back below (or vice versa), it is a Stop Hunt
- Accumulation/Distribution... if Climax or Rising volume appeared but price is on the wrong side of a key level (below it for bull climax = building below resistance = ACCUM)
- Scout Long/Short (Trend Mode)... if trend matches + Dragon touch + Climax at round level + Dragon not flat.
- Scout Long/Short (Retracement Mode)... fires counter-trend signals when price is far (2x ATR) from the Dragon and a Climax candle suggests a snap-back.
- Full Setup upgrade... if M1 volume check is enabled and M1 also confirms the direction, the Scout upgrades to FULL SETUP.
- Run Exhaustion... if price is more than 2x ATR away from Dragon AND a Climax appears.
- Climax Run... if price is beyond the configured ATR distance and a Climax appears (less extreme than exhaustion)
Step 6: 89 EMA Momentum and the Divergence Warning
The 89 EMA slope is calculated the same way as the Dragon slope... current value minus value N bars ago, divided by bars, converted to pips per bar. It measures the direction of "natural momentum" independently of the Dragon and 200 EMA.
When a momentum divergence occurs... meaning the macro trend (Dragon vs 200 EMA) says one direction but the 89 EMA slope points the other way... the scanner changes the Row 5 background to Dark Slate Gray. This is a deliberate warning, not an error. Here is why it matters:
- Bullish trend but 89 EMA declining: price may be in a correction with more room to run before the trend resumes. Entering a long now means you are fighting near-term current even while the longer current is in your favor.
- Bearish trend but 89 EMA slope positive: a corrective bounce may not be finished. A short entry here may take an initial hit before the bear trend continues.
The scanner does not block signals in divergence... experienced traders sometimes use this condition to time early entries into the trend resumption. But the dark-gray visual makes the warning unmissable. The rule of thumb: treat Dark Slate Gray cells as reduced-size or observation-only until the 89 EMA slope realigns with the trend.
Step 7: Wave Pattern Check
The scanner looks at the two most recent bars. For a Higher Low, it checks whether the current bar's low is above the previous bar's low. For a Lower High, it checks whether the current bar's high is below the previous bar's high. This is a simple but effective structural check that prevents you from entering a "trend trade" when price is actually in a staircase-down correction within an otherwise bullish chart.
Step 8: Untested Magnet Check
At the start of each calculation cycle, the scanner reads the previous Daily and Weekly high and low from the broker's price data. It then checks whether the current bar's high has reached or exceeded the previous Daily/Weekly high (meaning the high magnet is "tested"), and whether the current bar's low has touched or broken the previous Daily/Weekly low (low magnet tested). If not reached, those levels are flagged as active untested magnets.
Slope Calculations:
1. The Math Formula
Slope = (PriceCurrent−PricePast) / (ATR × Bars)
2. The Multiplier (The "10x" Scale)
We apply a multiplier of 10.0 to bring these small decimals into a range that matches your input settings:
3. How to interpret Min Dragon Slope :
Since we multiply by 10, your input setting (default 0.5 ) essentially checks if the MA moved at least 5% of the ATR per bar.
- If Min Dragon Slope = 0.5 : It means the Dragon must move at least 0.05 ATR per bar to be considered "Trended" (Not Flat).
- If Min Dragon Slope = 1.0 : It means the Dragon must move at least 0.10 ATR per bar.
Why this is better than "Pips":
On EURUSD, 0.5 pips is a tiny move. On Gold (XAUUSD), 0.5 pips is practically non-existent. By using this ATR-based calculation:
- Gold and Forex now behave identically because they are measured against their own volatility.
- A slope that "looks" like 30 degrees on a Gold chart will now produce the same numerical value as a 30-degree slope on a EURUSD chart.
How to Use the Scanner Effectively
Basic Workflow
- Load the scanner on any chart and configure your pairs and timeframes in the scanner panel inputs
- Let the scanner run. Watch for cells that change background color away from neutral
- When a READY (L), READY (S), or FULL SETUP label appears, open that specific chart
- Confirm the structure visually: is the Dragon clearly sloping? Is the pullback clean or choppy?
- Check Row 5... is the session active (LON or NY)? Is the Wave showing HL for longs or LH for shorts?
- Check Row 6... are there untested magnets close by that could act as obstacles or targets?
- Place your trade with stops and targets as described below
Stop Placement
The cleanest stop placement for a READY (L) trade is just below the Dragon at the time of entry, or below the most recent Higher Low structure. For READY (S), it is just above the Dragon or above the most recent Lower High. A reasonable rule of thumb is to add a small buffer of 5–15 pips beyond the Dragon to avoid getting stopped out by noise.
If Row 6 is showing an untested D1 low near your entry zone, consider placing the stop below that level... because that low is a potential target for MMs to hunt before reversing. Placing your stop above the magnet means you survive the sweep; below it means you get taken out before the move happens.
IMPORTANT: Stop Rule of Thumb: For standard READY signals, stop goes just below the Dragon + 10 pips buffer. For FULL SETUP signals, the M1 confirmation means you can often use a tighter stop because the entry timing is more precise.
Target Setting
The most natural targets in this system are the untested magnets in Row 6... if you are long and the previous Daily high is untested, that is your first target. The next whole round number above your entry is also a standard target. When a SQUAT signal appears near a target, it often means absorption is happening there and price may stall... consider booking profits.
Row 3 shows the Anchor Candle... the open of the most recent significant Climax candle that triggered the current PVA state. If price later returns to the open of that anchor candle, MMs frequently reload positions there, making it a high-probability bounce zone. Use the "Distance to Anchor" reading in Row 3 to anticipate where these reloads may occur and pre-set limit orders or alerts accordingly.
Session Discipline
The scanner flags active sessions in Row 5 as ON. Signals that appear during OFF hours have historically lower follow-through. You can still observe them but treat them as lower confidence. The best signals are those that appear shortly after your configured session start, when volume begins to build.
The TVT20 Method... What READY Is Automating
The original PVSRA Golden Posts introduce the TVT20 (Trend Validated Trade for 20 pips) as the core scalping framework that this scanner is built around. Understanding the method explains why the signal conditions are designed the way they are:
- Trend: Dragon is above the 200 EMA (bullish) or below it (bearish). This is the first gate... no setup exists without it.
- Validated: Price has pulled back to the Dragon and a Climax or Rising volume candle has appeared at or near a key round number, confirming MM interest at that level.
- Trade for 20: The initial target in the original method is the next 20-pip increment from the entry point. In practice this maps to the nearest untested magnet, next round number, or the session high/low.
The READY (L) / READY (S) signal is exactly the automation of the "Zig-Zag" pullback entry in TVT20... it fires the moment price touches the Dragon with a confirming volume candle. The critical Golden Posts rule is: "Jump the gun and you are dumb!"... meaning do not enter before the Dragon touch is confirmed by a qualifying volume candle. Entering a candle early because "it looks like it will touch" leads to being on the wrong side of the MM stop hunt. Wait for the READY label to actually appear.
KEY REMINDER: READY only fires when the Dragon has a valid clock angle (1–2 o'clock for longs, 4–5 o'clock for shorts). A flat Dragon means no READY label appears, even if all other conditions look perfect. If you are watching a pair and nothing is triggering, check that the Dragon slope is not flat... this is the most common reason READY is absent when the setup otherwise looks clean.
Cheat Sheet... Quick Reference
Best Timeframes by Trading Style
| Style | Primary TF | Context TF | What to Look For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scalping | M5 / M15 | H1 | READY or FULL SETUP during LON/NY overlap. Wave HL/LH confirmed. Tight stops at Dragon. |
| Intraday | M15 / H1 | H4 | READY during session open. Untested D1 magnet as target. SQUAT at target for exit. |
| Swing | H4 / Daily | Weekly | ACCUM on H4 building, then READY on H4. Untested W1 as target. 89 EMA slope positive. |
| Position | Daily / Weekly | Monthly | ACCUM on Daily turning to READY. 200 EMA slope trending. Long-horizon magnets as targets. |
Signal Priority Ranking (Best to Worst)
| Priority | Signal | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Highest) | FULL SETUP (L) / FULL SETUP (S) | All conditions + M1 volume confirmation |
| 2 | STP HUNT B / STP HUNT S during active session | MM trap with volume at key level |
| 3 | READY (L) / READY (S) with HL/LH Wave confirmed | Classic Sonic R. entry |
| 4 | READY with Wave but in ASI session | Lower volume... wider stops or skip |
| 5 | ACCUM / DIST | Early warning... wait for READY to follow |
| 6 | SQUAT | Absorption... look for direction after |
| 7 | CLMX RUN | Can trade with tight trailing stop only |
| 8 (Lowest) | RUN (Exit) | Exit existing positions, avoid new entries |
MM Intent Priority... What the Dashboard Is Really Saying
| Priority | Dashboard Label | MM Psychological Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Clearing | STP HUNT B / STP HUNT S | MMs clearing retail stop liquidity before their real move. The cleanest high-conviction signal in the system. |
| Absorbing | SQUAT (B) / SQUAT (S) | MMs absorbing all remaining opposing orders at a level. The spring is coiling... watch for explosion. Also valid as an exit when appearing near your target. |
| Entry | FULL SETUP (L) / FULL SETUP (S) | Natural trend momentum confirmed by M1 lower-timeframe volume. MMs are participating in the direction you are trading. |
| Warning | Purple / Teal background | MM direction contradicts the trend... distributing into bullishness or accumulating into bearishness. Stand down from new entries in the trend direction. |
Filters to Never Ignore
- If Row 5 background is dark slate gray (momentum divergence)... either skip or reduce position size by half
- If Row 5 shows ASI session... treat any signal as provisional until LON/NY opens
- If Row 2 shows the Dragon crossed the 200 EMA only very recently (small number of bars ago)... the trend is fresh and potentially unstable; use tighter position sizing
- If Row 3 shows the anchor candle distance is already very large (many pips from the PVA open)... the setup may be stale
Settings Explained
Scanner Settings
| Setting | Default | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| Refresh After Ticks | 100 | How many ticks between full recalculations. Lower = more CPU usage. Set to 0 to update on every tick (not recommended for many pairs). |
| Maximum Past Bars | 1000 | How far back the scanner looks when searching for the last EMA cross, PVA signal, etc. Higher values are more accurate but slower on first load. |
| Shift Bars | 0 | 0 = analyze the current forming bar. 1 = analyze the last completed bar. Setting to 1 avoids repainting on signals. |
| Scanner Mode | Trend | Trend mode fires READY signals when price pulls back to the Dragon with the trend. Retracement mode fires signals when price is far from the Dragon... useful for counter-trend setups. |
Volume Settings
| Setting | Default | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| PVA Average Bars | 10 | How many bars back to compute the average volume baseline. Increase for a smoother baseline on higher timeframes. |
| Rising Vol x (vs Average) | 1.5x | Volume must exceed the baseline by this factor to be classed as Rising. Lower it if you want to see more Rising signals. |
| Climax Vol x (vs Average) | 2.0x | Volume must exceed baseline by this factor (or Value2 must be highest in 10 bars) to be classed as Climax. This is the key threshold for Scout and Stop Hunt detection. |
S&R Settings
| Setting | Default | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| SR Level Priority | All | Which round levels count: Whole only (.00), Whole + Half (.00/.50), or All (adds .25/.75). Start with All; narrow to Whole Only if you get too many signals. |
| Stop Hunt Buffer | 10 pips | How many pips beyond a level the wick must have spiked before the scanner counts it as a Stop Hunt. |
| Level Proximity (pips) | 10 pips | How close price must be to a round level for the scanner to consider it "at" the level. Wider = more signals; narrower = stricter entries. |
Setup Settings
| Setting | Default | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| Price-Dragon Max Dist (ATR) | 2.0 | How far from the Dragon (in units of ATR) price must be before the scanner classes a Climax as a Run rather than a Scout. Increase to allow scouts at wider pullbacks. |
| Min Climax Density | 3 bars | Used internally for context checks. The minimum number of Climax bars in a lookback window before certain conditions register as a dense activity zone. |
EMA Settings
| Setting | Default | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| Price/Dragon Cross Type | High/Low | Whether the Price-Dragon cross is detected using High and Low (wick touches Dragon) or Open/Close only (body must cross Dragon). High/Low is more sensitive. |
| Dragon EMA Period | 50 | The period of the Dragon moving average. In the Sonic R. system this is typically 34 EMA of median. You can adjust to match your preferred system. |
| Dragon MA Type | EMA | Smoothing method for the Dragon. EMA is the standard. SMA gives a slower, less reactive Dragon. |
| Dragon Applied Price | Typical (HLC/3) | Which price is used to compute the Dragon. Typical price (High+Low+Close / 3) reduces wick noise. |
| Trend EMA Period | 200 | The macro trend filter. 200 is the standard institutional reference. Do not change unless you have a specific reason. |
Slope Settings
| Setting | Default | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| Use Dragon Slope Check | On | When on, the scanner ignores Scout signals when the Dragon is flat. This is one of the most important filters... keep it on. |
| Slope Check Bars | 3 | How many bars back to compare for slope. Fewer bars = more reactive slope detection. |
| Min Dragon Slope | 0.5 | The minimum average slope in pips per bar before the Dragon is considered directional. Raise this on noisy pairs (like JPY crosses); lower it on slow-moving ones. |
Sonic R. System Settings
| Setting | Default | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| Use Sonic R. Features | On | Master switch. Turns on Rows 5 and 6 in the dashboard. Turn off to revert to the simpler 4-row layout. |
| Check L-H-HL Classic Wave | On | Enables the wave structure check. When on, Row 5 shows HL/LH/NoWave and the text is color-coded by trend alignment. |
| Identify Untested SR Magnets | On | Enables Row 6 magnet tracking. Gold color for untested levels, silver for fully tested. |
| Use Session Filter | On | Enables the ON/OFF session label and background color changes in Row 5. |
| Session Start Hour | 10:00 | The time (Broker Time) when the active trading session begins. Supports HH:MM format. |
| Session End Hour | 00:00 | The time (Broker Time) when the active trading session ends. Supports HH:MM format and overnight sessions. |
| Use EMA 89 Momentum Filter | On | Enables the M: +X.X momentum display and the dark-gray warning background when momentum diverges from trend. |
| Cross-TF Volume Alignment | Off | When enabled, the scanner checks M1 volume to upgrade Scouts to FULL SETUP. Enable this when you want the highest-precision entries only. |
Alert Settings
| Setting | Default | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
| Use Alerts | On | Master alert switch. Turn off to silence all notifications. |
| Alert on Squat | On | Alert when absorption (Squat) is detected. |
| Alert on Scout | On | Alert when READY (L) or READY (S) appears. |
| Alert on Climax Run | On | Alert when CLMX RUN appears... price is running with volume. |
| Alert on Stop Hunt | On | Alert when STP HUNT is detected at a level. |
| Alert on Exhaustion | On | Alert when RUN (Exit) appears. |
| Alert on Accum/Dist | Off | Alert when ACCUM or DIST appears. Off by default to reduce noise... these are early-stage signals and fire frequently. |
| Alert on Highlight | Off | Alert specifically when the cell background is newly highlighted by a Price-Dragon Cross. Only triggers once on the active shift bar. Useful if you want alerts purely for Price-Dragon crosses while keeping other setup signals disabled. |
| Ignore WAIT/NONE Alerts | On | Suppresses alerts when there is no actionable signal. Keep on to avoid constant noise. |
Understanding the Color System
The scanner uses color at three levels... the cell background, the arrow icon in each row, and the text itself. Each can be fully customized through the Color Settings section. Here is the default logic:
| Element | Color | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Arrow... Bull/Long signals | Lawn Green | Direction is bullish, entry interest is up |
| Arrow... Bear/Short signals | Light Salmon | Direction is bearish, entry interest is down |
| Arrow... Accumulation | Gold | Smart money building positions... watch for reversal |
| Arrow... Distribution | Magenta | Smart money distributing... watch for reversal |
| Arrow... Climax Run | Orange | Extended move... caution on new entries |
| Arrow... Rising Bull Volume | Deep Sky Blue | Buying momentum increasing |
| Arrow... Rising Bear Volume | Pale Violet Red | Selling momentum increasing |
| Text... Warning | Orange | Price near a level or signal is borderline |
| Text... Neutral/No Data | Gray | No significant activity detected |
| FULL SETUP (L) | Lime Green | Highest conviction long... hard to miss |
| FULL SETUP (S) | Red | Highest conviction short... hard to miss |
| Magnet Row... Untested | Gold | Active price target exists at D1 or W1 level |
| Magnet Row... All Tested | Silver | No pending magnet levels to worry about |
CUSTOMIZATION TIP: If you trade on a white background chart, the default dark background colors may look off. You can adjust all BG colors in the Color Settings group. Try light pastels for the Scout colors and keep the FULL SETUP colors bright regardless of theme.
Common Questions and Scenarios
The scanner shows READY (L) but the background has gone dark slate gray. Should I trade it?
This means the 89 EMA momentum is pointing down even though the trend is bullish. The Dragon is above the 200 EMA (bullish regime) and all Scout conditions are met, but the 89 EMA is declining. This is a momentum divergence. The trade may still work but the risk is higher. Consider reducing position size by 30–50% or waiting for the next bar to see if the momentum recovers.
I see ACCUM appearing repeatedly on one pair. What does that mean?
Persistent ACCUM signals mean big buying volume is repeatedly appearing below a resistance level. This is often the prelude to a breakout above that level. Watch for a READY (L) to follow once the Dragon starts sloping up from that zone. The transition from ACCUM to READY is one of the cleanest setups in the system.
SQUAT appeared but nothing happened. Is it a false signal?
Squat signals identify absorption... they tell you where MMs are absorbing supply or demand. The Squat itself is not a trade entry... it is a context marker. Wait for a direction to emerge after the Squat before acting. A Squat at support followed by a Rising Bull candle is the confirmation. A Squat followed by a continuing decline means the absorption failed.
Row 6 says Unt: D1 W1. Should I be worried about a long trade?
Not necessarily... but be aware of those levels. If both the previous Daily high and Weekly high are untested and you are already in a bullish setup, price will very likely test them. This is good news for longs since those levels become your first targets. The risk is if the Daily/Weekly low is untested... because price might sweep that low (stop hunt) before rallying.
Retracement Mode vs Trend Mode
The default Trend Mode only generates Scout signals when price is at the Dragon. This is the Sonic R. classic approach... pull back to the Dragon in an established trend.
Retracement Mode is for counter-trend or deep-pullback traders. In this mode, the scanner looks for price that has moved far from the Dragon (beyond the configured ATR distance) and is showing a Climax volume candle in the opposite direction of the macro trend. The idea is that after a long bull run, a very deep pullback with a Bear Climax might signal a counter-trend short that lasts long enough to be profitable before the bull trend resumes.
WARNING: Retracement Mode generates riskier signals. Always use tighter position sizing in this mode. The macro trend is against you, and these setups should only be considered when the volume signal is exceptionally strong (intensity above 3x) and you are near a major S&R level.
