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FXCM Feed, Finding Unknown Alert Noise, LP Map Scale |
January 17, 2007
16:30 Ensign Howard: Welcome to today's training class with Ensign staff..... Howard will be the trainer....
16:33 Ensign Howard: Good afternoon. Two weeks ago Ensign introduced the FXCM forex data feed. We were in beta testing for a week, and things went so well, we ended the beta phase and had a general invitation open to everyone to use the FXCM feed. The feed is free and it can be processed in parallel with what ever data feed you use for quotes. It can also be used by those without a data vendor, such as those using the Ensign Internet version. We have continued to make improvements in the Ensign Windows program, and there is a 01-17 version available.
16:36 Ensign Howard: Anyone using the FXCM feed should upgrade to the current EW version because I found a timestamp conflict with the IB refresh affecting the FXCM refresh and that conflict was resolved in the 01-17 upgrade.
http://www.www.ensignsoftware.com/download.htm
16:36 Ensign Howard: If you are interested in having the FXCM forex feed (it is free) you need to follow the instructions we have about turning this feed on.
16:37 Ensign Howard: You need to download a program called the Ensign Data Server as this will be our interface between Ensign Windows and our servers in Salt Lake City where we issue the data feed from.
http://www.www.ensignsoftware.com/download.htm
16:38 Ensign Howard: This page of documentation tells about installing the Ensign Data Server (EDS) and checking the FXCM box on the Setup | Connection form to activate the feed. The feed has tick, intra-day and daily refresh capabilities as well. We are aware of some omissions in the data set for daily refresh and we are working on replacing the data base with more complete data for the daily refresh. Possibly they project will be completed yet today, and if not today, surely by Friday. We intend to have 14 years of daily data on most of the forex symbols. Any questions or feedback from those who have used the FXCM feed over the past week?
16:40 Dusty: it has been excellent tkx u
16:40 Ensign Howard: thx dusty.
16:42 Ensign Howard: I have had a couple e-mail asking about differences in quotes between FXCM and forex quotes from IB or eSignal. So I added another section to the bottom of the FXCM web page of documentation..... let me cut and paste that material here.
16:42 Ensign Howard: Why do quotes differ?:
Equity and Futures traders are used to prices being the same at any given time regardless of which firm they are trading through or charting provider they are using and often assume the same holds true for spot FX. Because the spot FX market is decentralized, meaning it lacks a single exchange where all transactions are conducted, each FX dealer (market maker) may quote slightly different prices on their markets. Therefore, any prices displayed by a third party charting provider, which does not employ the market maker's data feed, will reflect indicative prices and not necessarily dealing prices.
16:42 Ensign Howard: Market watchers, such as S&P or ESignal, compile indicative quotes as a proxy for the actual market movement. These prices are derived from a host of contributors such as banks and clearing firms, which may or may not reflect where FXCM's market is. Ensign Windows uses the FXCM data feed and will reflect prices that mirror the prices in FXCM's Trading Station dealing rates window.
16:44 Ensign Howard: When I have compared quotes such as EUR/USD from FXCM and IB, they typically are not more than 2 pips apart at any give time. Often the prices are the same, or one is ticking a pip higher or lower than the other. That is just the nature of decentralized trading.
16:46 Ensign Howard: It does not mean that one is right and the other is wrong. It is just the quotes from the different broker dealing desks, similar to different market maker quotes on the Nasdaq
16:47 Ensign Howard: Our server load for the FXCM feed has handled as high as 76 simultaneous users, so we feel real good about the stability of the design and its capacity to handle many times that load size.
Help Resources
16:48 Ensign Howard: We welcome all the new users of Ensign Windows, and want
to make them aware of a great Help resource, and that is our menu Help | Q&A
Knowledgebase.
16:49 Ensign Howard: This is a database of questions and groomed answers that
I have written to the questions, and the answers often include screen images
of charts, studies, and property forms.
16:50 Ensign Howard: Here is a picture of the current Knowledgebase directory... there is a Find window where a search keyword could be entered.
16:51 Ensign Howard: For example, if you are interested in the Pesavento Patterns tool, you could enter Pesavento as the search keyword, and click the Find button, and the directory will then show all articles where Pesavento was used in the article title.
16:52 Ensign Howard: This search shows there are 21 articles.... click on the link to display any of the articles.
16:54 Ensign Howard: Sometimes the download of the article shows as gibberish characters....this can often be cleared up by clicking the Refresh button on your Internet browser, or by clicking the Go button on the chat view to force the display to refresh
16:54 Ensign Howard: Any questions about using the Q&A Knowledgebase or any of the recent postings?
FXCM Cont.
16:55 Ensign Howard: OK, Vijay, lets answer your question now.
16:55 Vijay: When not using FXCM, can it be closed without any adverse effect on EW?
16:56 Ensign Howard: yes vijay, you can have FXCM running or you can close the FXCM program (EDS). Ensign will continue to run either way and not be affected. Of course, data for the forex symbols will not be collected when FXCM is not running. However, you can start FXCM back up by rechecking the box for it on the Setup | Connection form. There is refresh to bring the charts current to replace the data missed while disconnected.
16:57 Vijay: My EW keeps on becoming Unresponsive even with the latest EW version! I use IB data feed.
16:58 Ensign Howard: When you open a NEW chart, such as a 15 min chart for a forex symbol, we see there are no bars and we do a big download to get you all the back data we have for the chart. This big download is what is taking several seconds, (like 15 seconds) and might be the source for EW not being responsive. However, be patient, and the download will finish, and Ensign will resume its expected responsiveness.
16:59 Ensign Howard: Thereafter, we only need to request data to bring the chart current, which is a snappy operation. It is the task of trying to download 4 months of data for an initial chart that is taking up the processing bandwidth.
16:59 Vijay: Thanks, Howard.
QnA Query - Remove an Unknown Alert
17:01 Ensign Howard: MOW, your ? now
17:01 MakesOwnWeather: I just made an inquiry for an important (to me) subject and got no results found. MY query was: "find an audio alert to turn it off". Now, I guess I did not expect an answer, but possible some reference to links that might find the answer.
17:02 Ensign Howard: If your text was entered as the Find content for the knowledgebase, you eliminated any matches. It is not a conversational find. Use a single keyword such as Alerts to do the search.
17:02 MakesOwnWeather: What would you suggest for that query?
17:03 Ensign Howard: Now let me give you the answer to your question. I assume the alert sound is coming from a Study Alert. Is that a correct assumption?
17:03 MakesOwnWeather: That is my guess, but there are over 60 charts.
17:03 MakesOwnWeather: There is nothing the the SETUP ALERTS window.
17:04 Ensign Howard: ok, couple things can help and the first is to realize that on a chart's object list, we can have markers on the left side of the study names.... and the alert that last sounded will have a <> tag in the left side margin. See the little hint section on the right side of the panel. You will see <> Alert played as the hint for what <> represents when it shows on this Objects list.
17:06 Ensign Howard: Another tool that will help is clicking the Yellow bell button on the main toolbar to show the Price Alerts form. On the right side is the Alert List frame with 3 selections...... you would select the Study selection and this will give you a log of the symbol and the alert message for the alerts that have triggered.
17:07 Ensign Howard: You can scan down through the list to see which charts and study alerts are triggering. That should narrow you search down considerably even though you have 60 heavily dressed charts.
17:07 MakesOwnWeather: That is empty on my Ensign Software, so could it be that the bong is coming from somewhere else. The Bong does seem to sound when the market moves.
17:08 Ensign Howard: The sound might not be from a Study alert.
17:08 Ensign Howard: Sound can be coming from a price alert, where the trading is above or below a price alert. These price alerts also show as color on the symbol background on the quote page. So you can look at a quote page, or look on the Price Alert form with the Alert List bullet set to Price.
17:10 Ensign Howard: Another source of sound is a private chart property on the Properties tab for Beep on each tick. This selection will cause the sound pitch to move higher on higher prices, and lower on falling prices. So that is a big clue if the pitch is changing. A changing pitch would be some chart has its Beep on each Tick box checked.
17:10 MakesOwnWeather: OK. I will attempt that. What is the "Line" radio button for in the Price Alert window?
17:11 Ensign Howard: Draw lines can be alerted so they sound when price crosses them. And this shows the list of draw lines that were alarmed that have been crossed by price action.
17:11 MakesOwnWeather: Very sophisticated, Mr. Ensign, I am impressed by this feature which I did not know about. :>
17:12 Ensign Howard: Discussing it makes it better understood by everyone.
17:12 MakesOwnWeather: Yes, indeed,
Ensign Software - Various Options for Feed
17:11 DJP: Howard, I have a question about what functionality exists for those who have the software, but are not on a subscription plan for live data. I know that we can download files for playback, but it doesn't seem like we can actually play those files. Is that the way it is supposed to be, or are you allowing us to use the free software to do this kind of thing, by using the ENSIGN Internet data source?
17:12 Ensign Howard: DJP, we only have one program, and it can be configured to use any of the supported data feeds on the Setup | Connection form. For those without a data feed, they would select Ensign Internet as the configuration bullet. Now when you open a chart, we know to get the data from our partner DTN Market Access. This will download data from their database and refresh the chart through a delay requirement. The chart will be static, but at least it gives you a good idea where the market is at.
17:14 Ensign Howard: Now the playback capability is a feature available to all regardless of your vendor configuration selection. You as an Ensign Internet user would be able do download playback files and practice with them. If playback is not working for you, possibly the program status is Expired, which can be checked on the Setup | Security screen.
17:15 DJP: But one must subscribe to Ensign for the software itself to make any of this work, correct? It is not available just because someone has the software downloaded on their computer, correct.
17:15 Ensign Howard: Possibly you did not download the file you are trying to play back.
17:15 Ensign Howard: Correct, charts and playback are available with a (one wk trial and then a )subscription. The monthly user fee for Ensign Windows is $39.95/mo and is paid by Ensign Internet users same as everyone else. From you clues, I suspect the program status is showing Expired, but you can go check on Setup | Security form.
LP Map
17:17 Ensign Howard: ok trendtrader, your turn for your ?
17:17 trendtrader: I have noticed with today's Jan 17th and the Jan 12th versions that they don't display the pesavento maps upon opening of the workspace anymore. I must hit the = sign for it to display on the chart, nothing has changed in my WS for weeks. has anyone else reported this yet?
17:18 Ensign Howard: I will have to check that out trendtrader.... so in the past opening the workspace auto calculated the Map, and now you have to press = to calculate.
17:18 trendtrader: yes exactly. I use the maps on 9 charts and never had issues until the past 2 updates
17:19 Ensign Howard: I have been working on the map in some of my research, and possibly a change has affected the opening behavior. I will have to investigate.
17:19 trendtrader: all charts with Pesavento Maps exhibit this - thanks
Scrolling in Echat
17:19 DJP: OK, thanks. I more question: in echat, when I scroll back to look at previous lines, and then someone in the room posts a new message, it bumps me back to that most recent post even when I' m holding the mouse button down.. Is there anyway to freeze the scroller so that it stays where I placed it. It becomes very difficult to review earlier posts when there is a lot of conversation in the room.
17:20 Ensign Howard: DJP, go to the Setup form for chat room and uncheck the box for Scroll Transcript and see if the behavior is better when trying to read back in the script.
LP Map Scale
17:18 Vijay: What is the best way to adjust the scale for Pasevento map, please?
17:20 Ensign Howard: Vijay, you can adjust the scale by dragging vertically on the price range. This will resize the host chart.
17:21 Ensign Howard: Double click on the price scale to change the scale to the Map color. Now you can drag vertically and resize the Map instead of the host chart and you can drag vertically on the chart and reposition the map instead of moving the host chart.
17:22 Ensign Howard: Double click on the price scale again to return to controlling the host chart instead of controlling the map.
17:22 Vijay: Thanks, Howard!
17:22 Ensign Howard: You can also press the comma and the period keys be able to shift the map alignment horizontally.
17:22 Dusty: tks Howard for the session
17:22 Ensign Howard: welcome.
17:22 Ensign Howard: OK, ready for next question.
17:24 Ensign Howard: LM392, press CTRL+P keys for chart properties, and select the Symbol tab. You probably have the Day Session Only box checked for this chart, and unchecking it will permit it to show evening (2nd session) data
17:26 Ensign Howard: here is example for the forex symbol with Day Session Only box unchecked
One Chart Not Updating with IB
17:26 Ensign Howard: MOW, your ?
17:26 MakesOwnWeather: Sometimes one Ensign Software chart just stops updating. I have cleaned out the symbol table as you suggested, but it happens once (sometimes twice) a day (e.g. the 1400V stops for ER2 but the 700V and 2800V do not stop.) I also did the MAINTENANCE 1-5 as suggested by Ms. Buffy.
17:31 bld: Howard, Hello, I was wondering how to make ROC (20) show in sub-window 1 with grid line being zero which would then show negative vs positive #'s. Thanks.
17:34 Ensign Howard: that is a bafflement MOW, when we get a tick, we scan through the list of all open charts to match the symbol and the market group and update the chart with the tick. Where you have 700V and 2800V updating, that makes me confident the tick symbol is right and the market hours are OK
17:35 MakesOwnWeather: The beauty of Ms. Buffy's suggestion to make the completing candle a yellow color rescues me from this dilemma; but, I would still rather it did not happen. :>
17:35 Ensign Howard: so I am left to guess why the 1400V stopped, and the thought crosses my mind that perhaps there was an error on some study calculation that aborted the processing and thus aborted the chart scan before it got to the 1400V chart.
17:36 MakesOwnWeather: Would that allow the 2800V to complete?
17:36 Ensign Howard: I do not understand buffy's suggestion -- tell me more, might be a clue for me. The order of processing has nothing to do with 700 being smaller then 1400 being smaller than 2800.
17:37 MakesOwnWeather: Well, it is simple. Very simple. The candle that has not been completed has the color yellow. So, I know that my last candle on each chart MUST be yellow otherwise I must suspect that the cart has stopped.
17:37 Ensign Howard: The order of processing is called the Z-Order listing which is controlled by windows operating system and a selected window moves to the top of the Z-order list. So the order is really quite a scrambled list
7:38 MakesOwnWeather: OK. That makes sense as to why it is random.
17:38 Ensign Howard: So you are basing your judgement that the chart is not updating by the color of the last candle.
17:38 MakesOwnWeather: Yes. Also, the price is not the current price.
17:39 Ensign Howard: I would prefer you look at the chart and compare where the price is on this 'stale chart' and where it is on OK charts. Possibly the chart is OK after all and has the current correct price, and it is your color bar logic that is not doing the right coloring that needs to change. OK, different price is the best clue.
17:40 Ensign Howard: If this is repeatable, may I suggest you save the screen as a workspace and e-mail me the workspace file and I will watch and try to see same behavior.
17:40 MakesOwnWeather: Ensign Howard, the different price is my knowledge that it is not updating and I use the candle color (when not yellow) to double check the price. Well, not exactly repeatable; but, when I notice it I will document it for you.
17:41 Ensign Howard: If I can see the behavior, I can probably find the cause and a fix... possibly there is an error and I have more tools for trapping all errors and seeing where they occur and why. Better than documenting it would be for me to experience it by running your workspace
17:42 MakesOwnWeather: Yes, I will send the workspace also.
17:43 Ensign Howard: Ok, thanks for attending class today.... enjoy your week, and be prosperous... Enjoy the FXCM feed,, and keep checking for newer versions.
17:44 MakesOwnWeather: You also, Ensign Howard. Thanks
17:44 LM392: Thanks for your help, Howard
17:44 Ensign Howard: We are still fine tuning the fxcm refresh database content and may have updates to EW and to EDS that are important for FXCM users later this week.
17:44 Ensign Howard: Welcome, bye