That’s great! I know when I looked at the chart I wished I had gotten in at your level but the time zone and my desire to sleep prevented me!..
However, I could have set limit orders if I was more aware.
Forex has a draw few can resist!! You may be back! 
As former Sec. of State John Kerry said during his run for president in 2004 - “It’s time for a gut check”.
It’s ugly!
I thought I was close. I have learned a lot. Actually started owning/implementing what I’ve learned. Seen some great returns and some horrific drawdown, open to and willing to try suggestions…
I thought I had this…
However, using the “Costanza Maxim” my gut says I have this…
My focus seems to be too narrow and I am only looking at parts of my strategy. I have to actually write it down and work it.
The two critical areas I need to address are TPs and SLs. I am never getting off the forex roller coaster. Winners turn to losers and losers turn to drawdown and I will add to what appears to be the bottom or top of losers. What I thought was good risk management wasn’t. I have a bazillion trades open and while the greens can be big the reds can be just as grand!
I’m am doing ok on “winning”. I have to learn to lose less. I’m not going to be able to squeeze every pip out of the trade. I understand that. But, I have to embrace and own it.
It can be so easy to convince myself that I have a great strategy! That it looks stunning in that “curve-fitting” dress. Took a clear look at it this morning and it’s really a poncho with gym shorts in the rain.
I have a lot of the pieces just have to put them together.
frandlost,
KC
Edit: After reading the above I feel like I’ve become a forex Sommelier - a connoiseur of fine whines. What a whiny post!!
Got wacked around june 6/7 when my positions went from -32 to the -3100 while I was sleeping.
Since then it’s been taking profit off the bottom while trades consolidated. Here’s where they are presently
usd/mxn is chewing through resistance and approaching the gap down of june 6/7
eur/usd has formed HL/HH and is working through some supply
usd/cad may have found some demand at the 1.314 zone ADX rising
gbp/cad may have found some support at 1.676 zone ADX is high
gbp/chf may have turned on engulfing candle and higher ADX
eur/gbp LH appears to be absorbing demand perhaps positioning to go lower high ADX
gbp/nzd approaching a verified support area at 1.908 zone ADX is low
gbp/usd hitting some resistance at 1.272 area
eur/nzd is making LH but hitting demand at 1.713 zone
nzd/usd climbing on high ADX
Took some money off the table this morning when my overall positions were at -2100.
Grinding toward the green.
KC
So you trade using only S/R lines right? Or you add something else in your technical analysis?
Yes that is a large part of it.
I’ll draw horizontal s/r or s/d lines on the M & W charts based on the extreme ADX readings
Then I have 3 MAs using the XLV4 color MA indicator from this thread
I run a 4, 9 and 20 MA. Once the lines are drawn these are my primary determinants supported by lines and ADX.
I will also drop a D & W fib and shved_supply_and_demand indicator on for confluence confirmation of line levels and then remove.
I am still on a demo and have been refining my strat over the past 6 mos.
Thanks for stopping in!
KC
Just logged onto an Oanda Demo Acct. As a US citizen I think that I will open a small account with them intially. I’ll see how that goes and may try an LMFX acct using vload to deposit and withdraw - if there is anything to withdraw later on.
Here is my strat for the Oanda acct. Pimarily Based on the @Trendswithbenefits “befuddled” thread mentioned above.
I’ll be working off of the D, W, M Charts. Willing to camp on a trade for quite a while
XLV4 color MAs - 6MA smoothed, 20MA exponential
ADX no +/- lines
M, W, D s/d lines, different colors drawn at the ADX extremes
Will use W, D fibs and shved_supply_and_demand indicator looking for confluence with s/d lines. These indicators will not stay on the chart.
Upon signal will send out a .01 scout (as discussed with @Jerome32, in his Journal). Depending upon the scouts “reconn” will start placing limit orders and taking profit as the trades go in my direction (can you feel that confidence, that success? It’s like a new age aura of profitability 
.)
Will be trading small lots .01
Considering using the SL method described in @Trendswithbenefits thread in the post above …
As a demo there will be no withdrawals. However, for the live account will be keeping any profits in the account looking to compound as described in question 8 of the @Clint thread below
I would like to incoporate strong/weak pairing similar to @Dennis3450 or the @MikeWolski complete currency dynamics.
Part of my analysis will be based on the s/d thread posted by @kate25.
Another aspect of analysis will be drawn from the following video by proact traders “Trade the Wide Open Spaces.”
I still have to address how to take profit. Not sure if it will be a set TP to remove emotion and not let a winner become a loser as I have done so often. Also seems to be more prudent to take the first 80-100 pips off the table if I am scaling in. After all pips don’t compound as price goes in my favor. 100 pips is 100 pips if made in 1 trade or two trades one after the other.
While many have suggested a trailing stop, it kills me to have it too tight and get knocked out early and too wide and lose too many pips. This still has to be addressed.
Now all the above information is for sale. You can give me your debit/credit card or bank routing and account number when I call with the PC repair fix for your computer that I have been monitoring!!
I have a good… a great, really great group of guys, I’ve known for a long time, a long, long time! They are really, really great. Great guys!
They’re in my boiler… I mean trading room and you can subscribe to that and they will help you, help everyone, to get the money you deserve! We want you, to join us, the top 1%! I do, we really do, perhaps as a dishwasher or chambermaid at one of my resorts. 
What a journey, I feel like I’ve been heading down the longest runway ever! I have to get my wheels up at some point!!
KC
You SURE have been busy!!!
@dpaterso, It’s coming together. I feel as though I have all the pieces but have to put them together. Still stripping away superfluous stuff and refining other things.
Sounds silly but I am going to make a step by step check list as to how to approach a trade. Since I don’t have to be quick on the draw I can track each pair as they develop.
Some of it has become second nature but using “all of it” should keep me out of major trouble.
It seems the closer I get to going live the longer it’s taking to get there. Then again, I don’t want to hurry up and toss my money away!!
KC
Keep stripping away. That post almost did my head in!!! LOL!!!
That’s really FUNNY!! 
I guess it does sound like a lot. But as I continue to improve on my chart reading the analysis will get quicker and won’t be as onerous as my post!!
KC
If you’re a US citizen don’t open an account with Oanda. They have a first in first out rule when it comes to trades.
I believe all US brokers have this rule and it applies to positions of the same pair and same size. One way around it is to stagger position size.
Do you have any recommendations?
tx,
KC
Just closed all but three positions in eur/nzc all green!!
Cool to read your learnings. People can find their sweet spot if they enjoy trading and that can be a fortunate thing.
About going live vs demo, I personally can’t wait to go live. I am trying harder now to treat my demo as such, which I thought I did for a while but didn’t really. That’s called testing and that’s ok. You single out the wrong habits and vow to not repeat them as much as possible.
I know too well that once I go live, everything will change. I will use a brand new journal, my days and nights’ structure will be clearer, and the fact that every trade matters will become that much clearer too.
I analyse my flaws and mean to improve them, adjusting to reach a safe level in trading.
Live vs demo has got to be definitely different! The people capable to be honest with themselves and truly mean to do well, which involves many things, will be the fortunate ones.
Dude.
See this post of mine below re: TradeStation. NO excuses for you. ■■■■ Merrill/BOA!!! LOL!!!
There’s a lot there at interactive brokers!!
I was familiar with them but didn’t meet account minimum. Perhaps that is my new goal … hit 10K and move!
I may open a trial account to familiarize myself with the platform. Tx for the tip!!
KC
BTW… reading your’s and Manxx’s threads about other futures/commodities I am have an inclination to explore more!
$1 000. To trade the new CME micro. stuff.
Err… Just to be clear. You want an account with TRADESTATION so that you have access to the platform. Irrelevant that IB is the broker.
That’s a lot closer than 10K!
Thanks for the tip! I am on the trail! They do seem like a much better deal!
I’ll be a noob millionaire by year’s end!
KC
Stick with me. I’ll make you famous!!! LOL!!!
Was away for a few days celebrating the crushing of nations and nation building and realizing the silent majority is remaining so.
I’ve been trading demo as real as possible but didn’t do so while I was away. Positions “on” and no access.
Margin came a callin’. It’s ugly.
I am dragging my feet in tightening up my strat which is a bad sign for a trader. Believe I have all the pieces; some of them are together and some not.
Sometimes I think going live with a micro account and real cash would be the next “boost” to move ahead - it would be with a very small - micro account - . Then I think that’s like saying “I should drink the liquor cabinet dry and finish those 2 cases of beer before I quit drinking. Don’t want to waste all that.”
Perhaps I should start now.
KC
Edit: While my lot size is small a bunch of “smalls” still equal a lot of “bigs”. Am I learning? Idk. Feeling the frustration and need to stop and get myself together!! 
Edit: Ms. Margin Call just stopped by - again - for coffee. Wheels have fallen off the cart. Further proof I am not ready.
Pressing on.
KC