Hey FatRat, Your idea sounds interesting. I am currently using Tradestation Radar screen to find stocks that meet my selection. I am a profitable (small scale and only part time) trader that would like to move from paying Tradestation about double the commission and getting about 1/4 the amount of interest per month as I would at IB. What I would like is a program or Exel or whatever that would scan about 1000 stocks like Radar screen does and sort to the top and highlight the ones that meet my formula. Allowing me to move my account to IB and still have a "radar screen" would be great if all other things are equal.( TS does have some nice features that IB doesnt) In return you would have the formulas that I developed(half of whats needed) and I would be willing to share with you HOW to use them and the rules that I use to apply them (the other half thats needed for me to trade on the results) I make no promises about the future results of my formulas except to say that I do NOT trade like most people. I am more like a Tom Demark
IB does snapshot updates -- meaning, they don't give out quote for quote information from ITCH, SIAC, ARCA, etc. Does that matter? Send me a PM.
The current scanner at IB is NOT PROGRAMMABLE like Radarscreen. Strike 1 against IB. You can only get 100 real time symbols updated with IB unless you spend about $10k per month on commish. Strike 2 against IB. The API at IB is constantly in a state of flux with changes, additions, and corrections....enough so, that it is a fulltime job keeping up with them. Strike 3 against IB - YOU'RE OUT.
I havent found TD indicators profitable 'out of the box/books' and I have tried them since 2000 But the method of trading I use is to find turning points as he does with TDCombo etc.... I short a lot of stocks that have peaked as you can see by my journal.
I wasnt thinking of using IB as the data source. DTN or somebody else was what I had in mind for the ticks.