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How to Change the Time Reference 00:00 of MT4 to my country time - page 2

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Hi mill


I accept your point about needing to be able to do mental arithmetic, but I think there is a more important reason to be able to use a different time zone from the server time (or at least account for it in indicators).


I use daily pivot points and these only work because many others use them as well. If I use a different start time for the day, the pivot points are different from those used by most traders and are therefore not as effective. The many other traders I refer to are the masses of traders that use UK time and smaller masses using New York time. (I want to use UK time for the pivot points.)


Of course, I can program my pivot point indicator to make the calculations based on a shifted time, but it's a pity to make many users do this, when all it requires is a set of functions to provide a "shifted" time base.


I live in New Zealand and have just chosen a US broker after trying a demo with a UK broker and was unexpectedly presented with this issue. Anyway, I'll add the complexity to my indicator knowing that I'll only have to do it once. If I think my code is OK and useful to others, I'll publish it somewhere.


Cheers

Jellybean

Just to add, I have published my daily pivot point code that applies a shift to the pivot point calculation on the MQL4 Codebase.

I hope it is of use to some.

Cheers

Jellybean

My MT5 platform shows an 8 hour difference in my time (CST) and the platforms time.  I looked at the world atlas  chart and it is from Moscow to Istanbul to  Greece and somewhere in between.  I wonder if the platform has even correct charts with this much discrepancy. I have found that time is a very important issue in trading.  From volatility to the beginning and ending of the time zones.  Without knowing this, your trading is mediocre at best. And if your platform is not showing your time then it makes it even harder.  I did not know I would have to become a math major all over again just to use a trading platform.
georgeP:
My MT5 platform shows an 8 hour difference in my time (CST) and the platforms time.  I looked at the world atlas  chart and it is from Moscow to Istanbul to  Greece and somewhere in between.  I wonder if the platform has even correct charts with this much discrepancy. I have found that time is a very important issue in trading.  From volatility to the beginning and ending of the time zones.  Without knowing this, your trading is mediocre at best. And if your platform is not showing your time then it makes it even harder.  I did not know I would have to become a math major all over again just to use a trading platform.
If you get into the habit of using the same time at all times, this issue is usually alleviated.  For example, just sticking with server time, which many times is noted as GMT or UTC (basically same thing, although technically GMT is a timezone).  Or always go with the time your broker uses for their system.  As long as you keep it standard, you should be OK.  If you are trading multiple accounts, and they are all using different time zones, then that is an additional issue that you need to learn to deal with if you are going to trade like that.  I am currently in EST (U.S. East Coast) and I am about 5 hours after server time (Here is 10:45P, and server time is either 5A or 5P.  And according to my system, UTC is currently 2:45AM.  What you could possibly do is set up a side program that shows a few different timezones, local (your time), server time, and UTC, since that is considered a standard.
georgeP:
My MT5 platform shows an 8 hour difference in my time (CST) and the platforms time.  I looked at the world atlas  chart and it is from Moscow to Istanbul to  Greece and somewhere in between.  I wonder if the platform has even correct charts with this much discrepancy. I have found that time is a very important issue in trading.  From volatility to the beginning and ending of the time zones.  Without knowing this, your trading is mediocre at best. And if your platform is not showing your time then it makes it even harder.  I did not know I would have to become a math major all over again just to use a trading platform.
You have to choose a broker which use time you need. The MT5 platform always use broker server time.
You have to learn to deal with at least 3 times:
1) Server-time (TimeCurrent()) with its own switch of DST (daylight saving time),
2) you local pc-time and your DST,
3) NY-Time (EST) with the USA DST as this defines the open and close of the FX market,
4) eventually the time of Frankfurt, London Japan and Australia and their particular DST.
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