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FXCM, Pesavento Map, Playback currency pair |
January 10, 2007
16:33 Ensign Howard: Welcome to today's training class with Ensign..... Howard will be the trainer today. We have had around 50 users be beta testers of FXCM and provide feedback of rough areas that needed polishing up.
16:35 Ensign Howard: We thank those that have helped beta test FXCM feed for the past week, and have released a new 01-10-07 version of Ensign Windows and a 01-08-07 version of the EDS program. Please upgrade both programs if you have versions that are older for either program.
16:36 Ensign Howard: We have been very pleased with the FXCM implementation and the issues reported have been relatively minor and we were able to make improvements for the reported issues usually the same day.
16:37 Ensign Howard: Probably the most major of all the issues reported was the need to rebuild the refresh data bases for daily and intra-day to fill in missing data. This was accomplished earlier this week and the refresh databases for FXCM now look really great.
16:38 Ensign Howard: Here for example is a 2-min chart of the EUR/USD+ currency pair. Intra-day data refreshes from Oct 18th, 2007, and the daily data refreshes back to 1998 if we have that much data.
16:40 Ensign Howard: The data looks really clean as well, which pleases me. The FXCM feed is included with Ensign Windows without any additional cost.
16:41 timNY: very nice -- thank you Howard
16:41 Randy: very nice H
16:41 Ensign Howard: This forex feed is real-time and can be used simultaneously with the data feed you currently subscribe to. So if you have eSignal, Interactive Brokers, IQFeed, or DTN satellite or Cybertrader feeds, you can also add the FXCM
16:42 Ensign Howard: We have prepared a web page of instructions on how to download the Ensign Data Server and then check the FXCM box on the Setup | Connection form to turn on the feed.
16:43 Ensign Howard: The forex symbols from FXCM will have a + character at the end of the symbol so these symbols do not conflict with the forex symbols you get from your data vendor. So you can have EUR/USD-(BID) be your forex symbol from IB, and have EUR/USD+ be the forex symbol from FXCM. Both symbols can show on the Quote page in the Forex market group, and both could be charting simultaneously
16:44 Ensign Howard: Let me post an image I posted earlier showing both charts side by side.
16:45 Kongfuzi: we can upgrade EDS on top of existing install, right?
16:45 Ensign Howard: yes kongfuzi. You can download the EDS directly from the Internet Services form by selecting the Ensign Data Server bullet and clicking the Download button.
http://www.ensignsoftware.com/help/fxcm.htm
16:46 Ensign Howard: One of the items improved on during the beta testing was allowing the EDS to be installed on a drive other than C: So if you run Ensign on D: or F: you can install EDS in the same drive as used by Ensign, such as F:\Ensign\EDS and the current version of Ensign will find the EDS installation and auto run it.
16:47 Ensign Howard: FXCM is real-time...there is NO DELAY and it is not a snap shot update on a timed bases either. Our implementation of the FXCM feed is real-time as it happens and reported by FXCM. When the FXCM feed is enabled on your Setup | Connection form, the 42 symbol pairs we track will auto post to the Forex quote page. You do not have to add any symbols to the Setup | Manager watch list used by your data vendor.
16:49 Franko: Hello - Is EDS an adjunct program to Ensign, or a standalone, or a service?
16:50 Ensign Howard: The EDS is an interface program that connects to the Ensign server and efficiently exchanges data from the server to your computer and then passes the data to Ensign Windows as a feed. The EDS functions in a manner similar to eSignal's Data Manager or the TWS from Interactive Brokers or the IQFeed program from DTN. EDS is a stand alone program, but only Ensign Windows can communicate with it.
16:51 Ensign Howard: Franko, you would subscribe to Ensign Windows and the FXCM feed is included without additional cost. So the FXCM is free to those who wish to have it.
16:52 Franko: As a subscriber I see this as a major advantage - thank you
16:52 Ensign Howard: The forex feed from FXCM is also available in the Ensign Internet version, which is used by those who do not have a real-time data vendor such as esignal or interactive Brokers or IQFeed.
16:53 Ensign Howard: So the value of Ensign Windows was just increased by the addition of the FXCM feed to be used by any and all as wanted.
16:52 Yur4ik: Howard, could you pls post Eur/Usd+ daily FXCM chart in zoom.. cause its look like some data is still missing
16:55 Ensign Howard: yur4ik, the daily bar for today looks correct, and it looks like the bar for 1-9 is the one that is wrong, so I will have Mike check the data base content for the refresh
16:57 Yur4ik: Howard, I'm talking about the first bar of week.. last bar is ok. The first bar is missing
16:54 Ensign Howard: Please hold your questions until we do general q&a. Questions on what I am training on are appropriate as I teach
16:55 Franko: How do I configure my Ensign windows to receive this 4x data, please?
http://www.ensignsoftware.com/help/fxcm.htm
16:56 Ensign Howard: franko, the instructions for downloading the EDS, setting the port and IP address and checking the FXCM box on the Setup | Connection are found in the web page just posted.
16:57 Franko: Thank you
16:55 Vijay: SO Howard to trade with IB , I still need to subscribe to the IB data?
16:57 Ensign Howard: yes vijay, if you want IB feed and trade with IB you need IB data feed.
16:57 Vijay: Thanks
16:59 Ensign Howard: if you want to try to connect to FXCM now, do so..... upgrade both Ensign Windows and get the latest EDS if you do not yet have 01-08 version.
16:59 Ensign Howard: The forex data shows on the quote page by clicking the big Q button, and then click the Forex market group button on the bottom of the quote page. The symbols will be listed alphabetically, and can be transferred to custom quote pages. The data fields we have from FXCM will be the bid, ask, open, high, and low. The value that is charted will be the Bid, so it will show in Last as well and be the price that is updating on the chart. There is no volume or tick volume.
17:01 Ensign Howard: On a chart in real-time you will see a volume plotting and that is because we default the volume for each tick update to the chart to be a 1. So the volume really is a tick counter, and not a trade volume. We do not have volumes on this feed, or in this feed's refresh.
17:02 Ensign Howard: The tick time will update with the timestamp on the feed.
17:03 Ensign Howard: Other quote page fields such as % Range are calculated locally and not something that is broadcast.
17:03 Ensign Howard: You can chart the forex symbols the same as with any other symbol on any other feed. The chart time frames of seconds, tick, volume, range, intra-day, daily, weekly and monthly are all supported.
17:04 Ensign Howard: All technical studies and draw tools are available, but those studies based on volume would naturally be illogical because we do not have volume values.
17:05 Ensign Howard: Any questions about connecting to the FXCM feed or using it?
17:06 Vijay: How do I get historical and real time data updates with FXCM, please?
17:07 Ensign Howard: you open a chart vijay, and if the chart needs data you can right mouse click and manually ask for a refresh. The data for the fxcm symbols will refresh from FXCM by way of the Ensign servers in Salt Lake City.
17:08 Ensign Howard: Ensign is maintaining the data set.
17:08 Vijay: Thanks.
17:06 Randy: FXCM server down for the moment?
17:07 Ensign Howard: no randy, it is live, my quote page is updating
17:08 Randy: Getting a socket error 10055 upon refresh
17:08 Ensign Howard: Randy, on the FXCM program try clicking Disconnect and Connect button again and upgrade to the latest version.
17:08 Randy: OK
17:10 Ensign Howard: The refresh for 9 years of daily data for FXCM happens in a finger snap. The initial refresh for an intra-day bar chart takes several seconds, but should be snappy from then on for refreshes that bring the chart current. The initial refresh is getting data back to Oct 18th, subsequent refreshes of a day to a week happen really fast.
17:11 Ensign Howard: One of our techniques to improve on performance was to compress the data to be sent and then decompress it on the computer side. The refresh of tick based charts will be the last 100,000 ticks, but the database for that is building up. Some symbols are already above 60,000 ticks. Others traded more thinly will take longer to accumulate the capacity we will support. Anyway, we are no longer in beta status.... we are officially released as of today
17:14 Ensign Howard: There may yet be issues we need to fix or improve upon but that will be handled as they are reported. We have been pleased that we have seen any bandwidth issues with the 50 who helped in beta testing. Our server shows 40 are connected to the FXCM feed right now.
17:14 Vijay: Howard my Net column was populated a minute ago, now it is not; what should I do, please?
17:15 Ensign Howard: vijay, are you running the latest version of each program.... Net field was not functional in earlier versions from a week ago.
17:17 Vijay: I am running 01-08-07 version of FXCM and the latest version of Ensign Windows, Howard; I also see that I am no longer connected to FXCM server
17:17 Ensign Howard: ok, vijay, go to the Setup | Connection and recheck the FXCM box please. On the setup connection form is a box for Auto Run to connect to your data vendor. If that box is checked Ensign will also assume you want to auto run FXCM. If the auto run box for the vendor is unchecked, we will assume you want to manually connect to the feeds, and for the data vendor. This is done by clicking the button to run the data vendor and for FXCM it is done manually by rechecking the FXCM check box.
17:18 Vijay: That worked! Thanks.
17:19 Ensign Howard: You may have to uncheck the FXCM box so you can recheck it. Personally, I prefer to have the auto run option checked and Ensign auto runs the EDS and connects to the FXCM feed when I run Ensign. It happens so quickly and smoothly I have come to take it for granted. It just happens.
17:19 Franko: Hello again - went to your support page, printed it, followed the instructions and it works like a champ! This is a huge add-on to Ensign, and I thank you for your continued improvements.
17:21 Ensign Howard: welcome franko, thanks for following the instructions
17:21 zbullzbear: Hi Howard, how can I tell what ver of EDS I'm using?
17:22 Ensign Howard: zbzb , you can look at the windows task bar and see fxcm as an application that is running. This you can normalize, and the fxcm version is shown as a date on the program caption line.
17:23 zbullzbear: it doesn't tell me what ver?
17:24 Ensign Howard: ok, zbulz, if you do not see the version date on the FXCM form when normalized, you are on older version. Upgrade to 01-08 and then the date will show on the FXCM form caption
17:25 zbullzbear: have to do that....thanks
17:25 zbullzbear: so far works great H..:-)
17:25 Ensign Howard: This is what the fxcm from looks like for the latest version
17:26 zbullzbear: ooh..already got that..:-)
17:26 Ensign Howard: The FXCM needs to be left running, so use the minimize button to return it to the task bar
17:22 Vijay: Howard will Demo feed conflict with FXCM?
17:22 Ensign Howard: The playback DEMO symbol does not conflict with FXCM. So you can do playback of other symbols same as you have done before, AND you can build playback files for the FXCM symbols and play them back as well.
17:23 Vijay: Thanks.
17:28 Ensign Howard: any more questions about FXCM?
17:40 Dusty: Howard.....the FXCM+ works like a charm.....another plus for Ensign
17:31 Ensign Howard: Let's move on to general Q&A for the balance of the class. If you have a question please use CTRL+Q keys to raise question mark icon by your nickname and I will call on you and answer your ?
Pesavento Map
17:33 Ensign Howard: nangreaves your ?
17:34 nangreaves: If I have say the GBP/USD+ 2 min chart but zoomed out and want to use the Pesavento Map will the Pesavento Map be automatically zoomed out as well to fit?
17:35 Ensign Howard: yes
17:35 nangreaves: How far forward does the Map go.
17:35 Ensign Howard: The map can also be rescaled and repositioned vertically to make for a nicer visual fit. On the 01-10 version of the Map it will go 770 bars into tomorrow so it can show full 24 forecast for the FXCM charts.
17:36 Ensign Howard: Versions prior to today's version did not project so far into the future
17:36 nangreaves: How do I know when to Invert? Larry tells me the Map is only valid for 30 bars. Would you agree?
17:37 Ensign Howard: I do not agree -- map is valid for as long at the fit is agreeable. 1 moment for example
17:39 Ensign Howard: This is the map I have been watching all day today, it was calculated around 11:30 and fit well, and was an excellent predictor of the balance of the day being a sideways move..... as the day unfolded and continued to move sideways, there was not reason or motivation to recalculate. So the map has been static or set for nearly 6 hours now and it shows more sideways to come.
17:40 Ensign Howard: It can be wrong, but it is showing the probability of what it expects to happen. 770 bars for all time frames except daily charts
17:40 Ensign Howard: Daily charts will show 100 bars into the future, but that is not practical anyway.
17:41 Ensign Howard: The 770 was chosen because there are 770 2-min bars in a 24 hour period, and these forex charts are 24 hour charts.
17:40 nangreaves: Would you advise me not to tick the 1 hour update button?
17:41 Ensign Howard: nangreaves, you can decide yourself.... I prefer to have auto recalc disabled. On today's map, the auto recalc probably would not have changed anything since there was high correlation with actual and forecast.
17:42 Ensign Howard: But I like to be in control of when a map recalculates if and when it is needed.
17:43 nangreaves: Thanks
FXCM
17:43 Ensign Howard: ed39 your ?
17:42 Ed39: I just downloaded Ensign Windows and EDS. FXCM is in the taskbar and when I bring it up on the screen, I click disconnect and connect but the 10000 and IP location do not show that I programmed into ensign. What should I do now?
17:44 Ensign Howard: ed39, go to the Setup | Connection in Ensign and check and uncheck FXCM box
17:44 Ensign Howard: port is 10000
17:45 Ensign Howard: IP is 207.71.64.14
17:45 Ensign Howard: might have to try check and uncheck more than once
Playback Currency Pair
17:44 Ensign Howard: vijay your ?
17:44 Vijay: How do I run Playback with FXCM on a currency pair, please?
17:46 Ensign Howard: on the Setup | Connection form in Ensign it should spring to life with the feed and you see forex symbols in the data feed frame
17:46 Dusty: be sure you have updated your Ensign windows
17:46 Ensign Howard: vijay, enter the forex symbol in the first box like this example. You need to click the Build New PlayBack File button. When the tick download is finished you can click the Open DEMO Chart button and the chart should be updating. Probably use a higher playback speed since the tick count can be low and it might look like an inactive playback
17:46 Vijay: Thanks!
Ability to Label Tabs
17:47 Ensign Howard: sniffy your ?
17:47 Sniffy: H, for me, the power of tabs on studies would be enormously increased if we could rename the tabs to simple 2 char names (preferably more) like ES,YM,AB etc - if you find 5 minutes can this be done ? :-)
17:49 Ensign Howard: sniffy, it can be done, but not in 5-min. Would need a way to set up and edit the tab contents. So it can be on the list of things to work on when I have a week in the fresh mountain air and am tackling redesign projects
17:50 Sniffy: ok :-) ... you need a break anyway :-) thanks
18:04 Ensign Howard: Sorry I need to end the class and take care of something else. So bye. I will be in the chat rooms possibly later to continue helping in an hour or so