astrophysics? I prefer cosmology myself, been dabbling in loop quantum gravity theory lately, check out physicsforums.com
yeah, I know you’re kiddin, sad thing is, I’m not 
I need to get a life
Robert , prices have dropped and I missed it again, now I’m afraid to go short, afraid that I’ve missed it and it will turn around on me.
I’m a little hesitant to try trading Sunday night or Friday either so I’ll wait till tomorrow.
Merchantprince
My apologise :o SanMiguel and I mean well but obvoiusly whats clear to us isn’t coming accross too well?
The first part of this thread is basically trading MA. There are numerous combinations. I like LWMA because its faster than most of the others. You will note in my last post to TALOND the ma’s and time frame I’m using at present. A good entry is at the cross of the 9 LWMA and 9 SMA on the 1h chart.
The second part of this thread concerns itself with using the Bollinger bands as an aid to MA’s. You will see that ma gives you a good entry, but sometimes you can loose around 50% of your pips waiting for another cross. Therefore a good exit would be when price steps outside of the Bollinger band wicks and the second candle changes colour. This can also be used for a counter trend trade for a quick’ish trade in its own right. 
TALOND
Probably best! I’m looking at it taking a retrace at around 1.658? Will see. 
everythings pointed down on the 1h right now, should I sell? or is it too far gone?
ah you answered while I was typing
So, this one didn’t work out too well - 20pips. I took a BUY when the candle at B turned green. A is a green wicked candle, B looked like it had wicked and was being pushed up. Good entry or not?
SanMiguel
I think good for a 'quick’ish counter trend trade. But for a more substancial trade I would have waited for a turn/ cross on the ma’s. I exited last night around 02:30 GMT at 48 pips after entering a short at 1.667 (after the 1h chart ma had crossed). Was not going to leave it unattended overnight as at about that time price was nearing support? This morning sort have wished I’d left it running as now would be up 100 plus pips!
The Asian session always looks to have some very smooth trades. Hmm - I’m not staying awake for it though
Do you find your 1hr 2/4 LWMA often changes before the 15min 7/14 ? I would have thought it should be the other way round…
Sanmiguel
Switched tactics last night on MA’s after some fine tuning. Now opening and closing trades on 1h chart with 9 LWMA & 9 SMA. With 4h chart open with 5 LWMA & 5 SMA/ 7 SMA (traffic light) i.e. 5 LWMA green, 5 SMA yellow and 7 SMA red.
Looked at 15 m chart and it confirmed the short trade at 1.666 and there was a slight cross at 1.661 confirming small retrace. But soon reverted to short. The 1h chart confirmed a short trade at 1.666 and as of yet shows no sign of ma’s changing direction.
I know we all have different platforms. But it helps visually in spotting MA turns or crosses if you can bunch up the candles as much as possible whilst still being able to read individual candles. I’d post a chart but am technologically challenged.
Do you change these according to current market volatility? If so, what are you looking for to find the best settings?
SanMiguel
Yes thats exactly what I do. Friday was a classic of this. Price MA on the 1h & 4h was inconclusive. Looked more like a heart monitor as priced jumped up and down on the 15m chart. So at around 12:00 GMT I switched to a 5m chart and just traded the bollinger bounce. Sunday night looked better as things had cooled off. Played around with LWMA and SMA for a ‘best fit’ on the 1h & 4h chart. When price is trending as it is now. I use the 1h for an entry or exit guided by the 4h chart. Using the 15m when its trending can lead to a false indication of a price change of direction.
What’s your thought process behind how you find something that fits?
Are you just looking for whatever gave the quickest signals to a pending trend or whatever gives the least false signals? How often would you change the settings, every week, every 2 days. etc.?
Presumably you have a stock of templates or something to change between like:
2/4 LWMA
5/7 or 5/8 SMA
5LWMA, 5/7 SMA
etc.
So, a wick outside the bollinger band followed by a change of colour candle AND the 2LWMA turning towards the 4LWMA or crossed is a higher percentage counter trend trade? In my example, the 2LWMA hadn’t started heading upwards?
Looks like one is brewing at the moment but I’d like to see the 15min being a bit more bullish and moving into the top half of the bollinger:
SanMiguel
Difficult question to answer?
In my opinion it all depends on what price is doing. Friday was no good for the 1h chart. Even using the 15m chart was pushing it! Price was nearing one of the outer bollingers but would not quite make it, wick then retrace to the other bollinger line and repeat. So I switched to a 5m chart where price was stepping outside of the bollinger bands and wicking and retracing. So the 5m chart with fast ma’s was the chart of choice for Friday.
Today, its the 1h chart with longer period ma’s as price is trending. I dont have stock templates, I just fiddle around with ma’s for the best fit of price on any given day. I wouldn’t want to use shorter time frame charts or ma@s when price is really moving.
Generally I use shorter time charts and ma’s when price is ranging (and trades) and longer time charts and ma’s when price is trending (and trades).
Robert, what do you think still a good idea to go short? I just got up EDT you know
I should have followed the red MAs
SanMiguel
I completely concur. On my 1h chart my 9 LWMA & 9 SMA show no sign of a change of course yet. I note your 13 ma is also considerably behind your two other faster indicators. Agood sign of a possible change of direction will occur when your 13 ma catches up with the faster indicators. This obviously signifies a slowing of the trend… possible over sold?
TALOND
My chart is still showing no sign of a retrace as of yet? I think SanMiguel may well be right though. So I wouldn’t enter a short now. Were getting into some significant support territory right now? Watch those shorter ma’s for a turn/ cross with an eye to maybe the centre line bollinger or a longer ma like Sanmiguels 13 ma. Even on a shorter ma cross its unlikely to be significant unless it pushes through a longer ma/ centre bollinger.
TALOND
Weve got a spinning top on the 4h chart right now. On the 15m chart the shorter ma’s have have just crossed. I expect a pull back from the first intial break up as center line bollinger is still quite steep. But might be worth keeping an eye on for a conter trend trade?
I am going to place a trade at 1.6550 long with SL (manually adusted) at 1.6525. TP 1.6580.
SL 1.6525 - the last green candle low? Moving up by 5 pips increments as the trade goes up by 5 pips in profit? Out of interest, if you do this and the trade moves back you will get stopped out at something like 1.6535ish for example?
TP 1.6580 - the bollinger high in the 15min chart?
SanMiguel
Thats my call on the ‘risky’ counter trend trade? I see support around the 1.6549 to 1.6525 area?