TOS Intraday Candle Issues - Esp. the 233

I'm having a problem setting up a TOS workspace with intraday charts. The problem is most noticeable with the 233. I actually specified a 240 chart so I could get 180 days of data. This issue is that if you choose 233 as the time interval you only get 20 days of data. Even if you choose 240 (the 4 hr chart setting already in TOS) you still only get 20 days of data if you check "Start Aggregations at Market Open." From what I can tell, any intraday (i.e., less than a daily chart) chart that has "Start Aggregations at Market Open" checked will only get 20 days of data. If I do not check this box for 240 minute charts, my candles start painting at 9:00 AM even if I do not check the "Show Extended Session" box.

Using the 9:00 AM start also ends the candle at 1:00 PM, so the charts are somewhat "off" compared to a 233 chart in QCharts or TradeStation. How are the rest of the TOS users here handling this issue?

The funny thing is Qcharts starts at 9:00am as opposed to 9:30am like TOS does. The only indicators it seems to affect are those that are beyond 20 periods. Like the 50 and 200. It draws them correctly, it just doesn't draw them going back beyond 20 periods.

It's an issue that I have spoken with TOS tech support on. They tell me that they have created a ticket for the issue and have passed it on to the developers of the platform to address the matter. That was a few weeks ago. I'm assuming you are getting this error message: "Chart with aggregations starting at market open is only
available for maximum time period of 20 days."

I'm getting that as well. The problem has to do with ANY custom time frames. There was a time when it wasn't a problem but something changed. I usually just ignore it, as it doesn't affect my charts. At least it doesn't appear to affect them:-)

You know, I never noticed the QCharts candles for a 233 beginning to draw at 9:00AM. Did you by any chance have "all sessions" enabled? Well, TradeStation draws the 233 chart perfectly starting at 9:30 AM with 2 years of data loaded, but the family member I am setting up on TOS does not have TradeStation, so I'll either have to choose candles that start at 9:00 AM with 180 days of data or candles that start at 9:30 AM with only 20 days of data until TOS sees fit to fix things. Thanks for the information!

Nope.

In TOS I use 180 day, 233 min time frame. Candles start at 9:30am sharp. The only error I see is: "Chart with aggregations starting at market open is only available for maximum time period of 20 days". Which doesn't effect anything since I can scroll backward and forward and all my candles and indicators draw correctly. My chart scrolls back to Sept 3rd,13. Go to settings and check on the Equities tab. The only option I have checked on "Axis" is "Start Aggregations at market open.

Note: Be darn sure to check you time zone setting as that can have an effect on things. Mine is set to Eastern, cause I'm in Tar Heel country:-)

AND THE ANSWER IS - - only 20 days on 233 with PaperMoney, but 180 days in live trading when "Show Extended Session" and "Highlist Extended Session" are not checked, but "Start Aggregation at Market Open" is checked. Moral of the story is to check everything in both live trading and Paper Money since things are different.

At least this is what I just got when I tried 233 charts in both environments.

That is correct'omundo!

I "assumed" you were referring to live trading only. Didn't consider that you could be referring to paper money. Sorry:-)

Also did you know that you can run BOTH TOS live money and TOS paper money platforms at the same time??? That way you can have the real time charting and use the paper money side to open and close practice trades, and adjust balances... Works nicely when you have a paper trade that seems to get stuck in the pipeline and not fill. Pretty cool!!!

Thanks for the multiple instances of TOS tip. It's also a handy way to transfer studies between the live environment and Paper Money. Saving a workspace does not save the studies used in the workspace, so when you open a workspace saved in another environment any studies you created for the workspace in the other environment will not be there. I was exporting studies from Paper Money to a file and then importing them to the live trading environment. TOS tech support suggested opening both a Paper Money and a live instance, then using CTRL-A to "select all" on the study code from Paper Money and finally using copy/paste to place the code into a new study window in the live environment.

Yes, that's very true. Any CUSTOM study that you build won't transfer automatically, you have to either export/import or copy/paste.

The same goes for Watch lists. A watch list is a bit easier as it is saved as part of the work space.

If you want to share a custom study with someone you can use the "Share studies" option the "Share work space" option, or even the "Share grid" option.

I have been using the 233 with only 20 days starting at 9:30 in TOS and if I want to look at a longer period I switch to strategy desk and it allows you to scroll back future on the 233

ADD: I went back and looked at my settings and it is 180 days instead of 20.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/22/2014 04:04PM by TCB.

TCB, I do the same thing. It is a bit messed up that I can not scroll back a year or two from TOS, but can't have it all.

All you have to do is set the 233 chart for 180 days, then you can scroll back.

Also you can click on the "OnDemand" button and it will let you play back trades and the whole market for 5 years. Granted it won't go back as far as Qcharts will, but you can go back 5 years I believe.

Not really sure why you would need to back years on the 233 chart. All that matters is the far right hand edge:-) Use the On Demand feature... you'll love it.