If you run indicators and use a dll to trade with IB then Tradestation has no built-in protection guarding against bogus orders being placed when the data refreshes. I know that from experience. I did not know that strategies were automatically protected in that regard when trading with the TS brokerage. I guess you could run strategies with a dll and not have to worry about it. There's always more gotchas than current solutions!!
I have been running an automated strategy for about 8 months. I am really pleased with the results. Yeah, my ISP has gone out and that is an issue. I am trading futures, multi contract and it is working out nicely. My job is to keep the shop open. Make sure everything is working and ready and leave the rest up to the logic. I would not let it run for an extended period while I am away, but I regularly leave for the day and the strategy trades. You can always call the trade desk to check on your position. My strat only trades once per day and it exits at close so I think it is manageable. It depends on the type of strat you design. I have very simple rules that I can manage from afar. For example, call the trade desk at the end of the day to make sure I am flat. My advice is not to be afraid to implement. Do it responsibly not on a whim and treat it like a business. Everyone will always give you reasons why it won't work. I have heard a million of them. After 8 months of this, I would not trade any other way. Good luck.
I am using TradeStation as my broker for my automated trades. I have recently put in a new cable modem and unplugged for a good ten minutes after an order has entered. Looks like the TradeStation does match the order correctly once the network is reconnected. Unfortunately you would have to be there to relogin due to a possible change of IP address?? I think it does work if you just plug and unplug the network cable. You have to check the Strategy Orders Tab of the TradeManager and make sure the Positions Match is true. I am only running a single strategy on the account so I don't know what would happen if you are running multiple strategies... I doubt they can handle every case but probably most cases. In general, I don't think one should leave it unattended but I do that once in a while for a potentially expensive Big Mac and fries.
TradeBolt? I was told that by using TradeBolt to take signals off Tradestation and manage them / send them off to a broker like IB, some of the autotrading shortcomings of the TS platform can be overcome or compensated for. Is this true? Can anyone explain or support this assertion? I would really appreciate your input. TIA!
There are ways around a lot of TS issues. I'm not sure which platforms offer which solutions, but it can be done to some extent.
JayK, TradeBullet (I don't know about TradeBolt) has some features that improve on TS8: 1) The main feature of course is you can trade with other brokers 2) You can offset all limit orders to ensure fills 3) You can filter out duplicate orders 4) You can change the limit order price after TS reports a fill, or convert it to a market order 5) You can trade a different symbol than the one charted (e.g. trade the e-mini from a SP chart) 6) You can trade on multiple accounts simultaneously, even at different brokers Francis
Really? I just Googled "TradeBullet" and the first link is good. Anyway, www.tradebullet.com is the address. Francis