grid strategies are profitable - high risk, high profit. check my signals to see examples.

EA also require some work to set it up on other pairs - each time you see a pattern you may "extract" it but usually you will need some optimization.

Couple questions please.

What would be the ideal period to use for optimize on one minute chart?

How often to re-optimize........ like once a week.?

Thank you

there is new (4.3) version out so you may wanna check it out. It has 20 built-in presets.

(trend are usually best in 1-few month periods, oscillation are best in few days to a month; but that is just usual stuff. you can also find good oscillation patterns in very long term)

Best way is to find preset is to

1. establish period where you see a pattern

2. select all presets from a list and put them o optimization

3. Go to Modify preset part and modify oscilation timeframe there (put it to oscilation settings) period_1h - period_d1

4. enable to modify money management and set range 200-1400, step 200 or step 100.

Start optimization.

After it finishes you will be able to start wirking with best patterns and modify them more in "preset modify" part if you want.

After getting best results you should disable the Money management (with MM of you get fixed lot, and fixed lot in case of stop-loss)

Now enable the STOP-LOSS modify and

a) EASIER WAY - if you will have just 1 preset on account you may turn on and set the currency stop loss (copy value from money management)

b) for multiple grids on 1 account  - go to the STOP-LOSS part - enable ALL PIPS STOP-LOSS and optimize the parameter (out of results, take lowest parameter possible that doesnt hit S/L in back-test or 10-20% higher if you want to have some error margin). that way you can launch multiple grid patterns on 1 account as loss is counted in pips, not in currency like in A)

Now you have a ready preset that will work on automatic mode until it hits STOP-LOSS. the probable stop loss will be amount in Money Management (it will be switched off, but the value you got before will tell you how much money will you lose if preset fails)

the trick is to find presets that will quickly earn you more than this lose value. I have some presets set and since few months even if my presets failed, they still brought me profit. Some are very long lasting like this preset: https://www.mql5.com/en/signals/57694

this preset would also bring 400-500% profit if it wasnt for broker sloating spreads - https://www.mql5.com/en/signals/70165

But that was old 3.x versions. Now finding presets should be much easier. I will make youtube movie about it explaining in details how to find good presets. I have been postponing that instructional movie it as i was working on 4.x version and it has many improvements:

- re-arranged more clear menu
- over 20 built-in presets with possibility of using them as they are or modifying most of their settings. Thanks to that function, you can find new settings in no time
- added option to use "mathematic grid" (each grid position is closer to the one before by certain percent)
- added 11 built-in grid patterns
- modified scale options - now both ADX and ATR scale can be in desired scale range (example: 0.5x to 2.0x)
- added MA crossovers trade blockade not to open position against short-term trend (automatically used in most presets)
- added sum-pips stop loss; thanks to that function you can use multiple grids on one account. Even with scale options, the stop loss value will remain the same
- added speed-up graphics option for fast visual backtests (less accuracy, multiple times greater speed)
- added simple hedge function

some new functions (like graphical panel to support manual traders) are also coming but they will be there probably in 5.x version.

A most powerful EA!

Thanks for the detailed instructions.

Looking for patterns (moving average crossovers), what length of moving averages to use for that, please.?

I did find one area, a range.... optimized it a bit and ran it on daily chart.. wemt for two years and decided to quit, haha, I was pleased with that, I did not do all of the steps you recommended. I am still getting used to looking for the 'patterns', I am not quite sure what to look for....

Perhaps you could locate a suitable range with the moving averages and post a pic of that.  Thanks.

Is it preferable to have 'short' only or 'long' only or long and short together.?

I am a bit confused re selecting the patterns, I have an idea that perhaps a person could select one for long or one for short or one for both.....

Can you clarify that.

Thank you

daveM

hello I have this error

2015.08.25 04:14:16.855 Grid Harvester MT5 (CADJPY,M1) CTrade::OrderSend: instant buy 0.04 CADJPY at 90.61 [trade disabled]