Ryan W

I actually just ordered this today. The gaming keypad/HIDmacros setup I've been using has been giving me a lot of trouble lately. It's the HIDMacros software that's the problem and since there are no other alternatives out there, I figured it was best to go with something that has its own customizable software. I would do the Elgato Stream Deck but I am on Windows 7 and refuse to upgrade to 10. Anybody here using this keypad? It seems pretty straightforward but was curious if anyone was using and what their experience has been (especially when executing from it).

Hey guys, not sure if anybody else on here has TraderVue, but if you're interested, use this link to sign up: https://www.tradervue.com/?friendref=8245 and you'll get $10 off your first month! I've used the free version for years and recently upgraded to the Silver plan. The reports that you get are freaking awesome! You can also tag your trades based on different criteria or setups (like VWAP fade, Moving Average Trend, Bear Flag, etc) and you can view reports based on these tags. Here's a screenshot of my tags that I took the other day. Note that I need to modify my tags a bit as they are a little too general. Anyways, not sure if anybody else uses it, but it's definitely worth the $30/month in my opinion! My username on it is rdubz85. I don't normally share my trades, but I may start doing it soon.

Hey guys, I created a page on the site with a separate form to collect everybody's email addresses and t-shirt sizes so I can send out additional information in the coming weeks. Please check out the page here: https://www.bearbulltraders.com/ny-metro-area-meetup/ be sure to add your name and email to the form at the top and make sure you add your t-shirt size to the other form (link posted on the page). Thanks!

Hey guys, Andrew won't be able to make it to this one (but he should be able to for future meetups!). However, he is sending us some goodies that I will bring with me and we may try to do a Skype session with him if he is available. Carlos and I are working out the venue. We are looking at midtown Manhattan since that's probably the easiest for everybody. If you guys have any other ideas or input, please let us know!

Hey everybody, please be sure to RSVP to myself ([email protected]) or Carlos ([email protected]) by April 2nd, 2018! We are going to make a reserveration and will need a final head-count by then. Also, if you haven't filled out this form: https://1drv.ms/x/s!Agc0kibqYd7fil45YLke5lBQophl please put in your Shirt size! Looking forward to meeting the NY Metro area members of the BBT community!

I have an APC unit and a CyberPower unit (picked up at my local MicroCenter). I have 1 router on one, and my other router and modem on another (I have 2 ISP's). I have my trading monster computer and monitors plugged into one and the other runs my DVR, network switch and a second computer I remote into and my Intel NUC that I use as as server. Both are 1500VA and they both give me about 15 minutes of run time which is more than enough time for a quick outage or any type of power surge. It also gives me enough time to close a position and shut down my systems if needed. I also have a much smaller 500VA UPS for the Verizon ONT that's on the side of my house. If all else fails, I have the TradeStation app (my broker) on my phone that will let me bail out of a position if I need to. I have yet to experience any problems with power/ISP issues. I also have a gas powered backup generator, but that's for prolonged power outages and day trading would not be a priority if I am running on that :)

Hi all, is anybody attending the NY Trader's Expo Sunday-Tuesday (25th - 27th) at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square? I plan on stopping by on Sunday as during the week is nearly impossible for me. The tickets are free and there are several paid events, but I figured I would go to check out the different booths and maybe network a bit. Let me know if anybody out there in the BBT community is going!

I just checked out Bookmap and that's some serious stuff right there! Are you using it live or just the simulated/delayed data to see how it works? I'm tempted to download it and do the free account to see how it works.

Andrew's hair is like a boss. I think we should use his hair as a barometer for the markets and his trading for the day.... I often say it must be rather windy in the 'Couver.

Hi, what you are referring to is a DOM (Depth of Market). For example, Tradestation has a DOM (or 'ladder') called 'The Matrix'. It shows the total number of bids and asks at each price level on both sides. Visually, it's easier to see when there's a large order a certain price level (always at whole numbers and usually at half dollar increments). The Montage or Level 2 (Market Depth) window, presents the same information, but in my opinion, are better. The reason is the Montage (level 2/Market Depth) window, shows each market maker at that price. Rather than aggregating everything at a price like the ladder/DOM does. This is vitally important when trying to understand what market makers/participants are trying to do a different prices.

Carlos, This is very helpful! I will also post an announcement in the chat room in the even there are members who do not monitor the forum, but would like to meetup.

JP, HIDMacros can be a little quirky. As long as you saved the configuration and it's mapped to the correct keyboard, it will stick. But, if you unplug your keyboard or number pad, the ID will change, so you need to double check that. I've also found that HIDMacros "Gets stuck" sometimes. I've made it a habit of closing out HIDMacros as the end of the day and re-launching it so I know it's fresh. Try this out and let me know if it works. HIDMacros is great, but it's not developed anymore, so it may have some bugs that won't get worked out unfortunately. This is the ONLY piece of software that I've found that actually works properly. There isn't much else out there surprisingly.

Hi Everybody! I wanted to create a post to talk about everybody's preferred moving averages and any strategies you like to use that encompasses them. Here are my moving averages: Daily: 50, 100, 200 SMA. 4, 9, 20, 50, 200 EMA, 5-Minute: 4, 8, 15, 20, 50, 200 EMA. 2-Minute: 4, 8, 20, 50, 200 EMA. 1-Minute: 4, 8, 20, 50, 200 EMA. I have the VWAP on all time frames (except daily of course). I like to use the 4/8 EMA on the 5-minute for entries/pullbacks and possible exits. I watch level 2 to see if there are orders stacked on the ask or bid around these EMA's. I also use the 4/8 EMA cross on the 1-minute chart in conjunction with a trend change on the 5-minute chart. I have an indicator that will plot a signal on my chart when the 4/8 cross each other (from below or above) and whether it has volume or not. When I see this, I reference the 5 and 2-minute charts to see what the trend is doing and if any patterns are forming. I also look at level 2 and time and sales to see if we are getting some momentum. Let me know what you guys like to use!

Lee, Yea I am really glad I went with the 71" desk. I like my monitors "angled inward" which actually takes up a lot of space (and leaves a fair amount of empty space behind the monitors). As far as stability and functionality, it's incredibly stable. It's a tad bit wobbly when it's at max height, however this has to do with my uneven floor and not the desk itself. The desk weighs a ton, but I can easily slide it around on my floor (even though it doesn't have casters). The desk has definitely met my expectations and I would suggest getting the wire management tray as it made a huge difference.

Hey everybody, so I wanted to post an update to my Lift desk situation. I decided to go with the Apex 71" Elite desk from Standing Desk Nation. I went with the advanced memory controller (since I don't want to press and hold a button, but rather just push a button once for it to move up and down). As a thank you for purchasing the desk (and for eventually leaving a positive review on Amazon), they also sent me a wire management tray for free! I am so happy they sent it to me because I REALLY needed it! I also picked up some wire looms and velcro from Microcenter for better wire management. I am super happy I went with the 71" desk because the 60" would've been way too small for my setup. Here are some pics of it set at 34" sitting height and 49" standing height. Sitting position: 34" Height Standing position: 49" Height It raises and lowers quite smoothly and quietly. It handles all of the crap I have on it and it's one of the best purchases I've made (with the exception of Andrew's book and access to the chat room and classes).

Hi everybody! I am considering swapping out my 'L-shaped' glass desk (which I have a hex mount that "screws" to the desk on). I had back surgery in October and would love an adjustable 'lift' desk. Many of these types of desks are rather small. I would also have to get a new mount since the one I have may not screw on to the lift desk properly. My concern is any of the hex (or even dual 'over-under') mounts have large bases that would take up a substantial amount of the limited real-estate on the lift desk. So, who out there has a lift desk, how big is it, and how many monitors are you using? I like a lot of space as I like to sprawl out. Thanks in advance!

I know we traded KODK today and there are others that have popped up, but how do you guys manage the .05 tick stocks? Of course, the same strategies apply as if it were a stock trading with the .01 tick, but it's easy to take large losses on the .05 tick stocks and when they move, they really move (like KODK). Of course, taking a much smaller position would apply here, but was curious how everybody out there likes to trade (or not trade) these .05 tick stocks.

Hi everybody! This has been a commonly asked question, so I am going to highlight some benchmarks in this thread to hopefully help those who aren't sure of what type of internet connection they need to day trade successfully. Please feel free to go to http://www.speedtest.net and post your results for us to review and confirm your connection will be able to handle day trading. Latency (Ping): Latency (or ping) is the amount of time it takes for a data packet to travel from your computer, across your internet connection to the receiving computer (or server). This is measured in milliseconds (ms) and is the most important component to your internet connection if you wish to day trade. Ideally, you want a latency below 20ms; the lower the better. Most high-speed, wire-based broadband connections like cable, DSL, Fiber (FiOS), and T-1 will offer low-latency connections. You want to avoid any type of satellite based internet service provider, or a provider that uses wireless transmission (such as an antenna on your roof that you point at a tower). You also want to avoid cellular based internet (3G, LTE, etc.) Only in an emergency, such as your primary internet connection is down should you ever rely on a cellular or other wireless based connection to place an order. The more time it takes for data to travel from your computer to your broker's server, the longer it will take for your orders to execute and the possibility the data you are seeing may be delayed. Bandwidth Speed: The amount of bandwidth often measured in Megabits per second (MBPS) is the speed at which data can travel across the internet connection from your computer to your broker's server. The higher this number, the more bandwidth you have available. Think of bandwidth as a multi-lane highway; the more lanes you have, the more cars you can pack onto the highway without slowing everything down. There are 2 pieces to bandwidth: upload and download. The download speed (which is often higher than the upload) is the speed at which your computer can RECEIVE data from another computer or server. The upload speed is the speed at which your computer can SEND data to another computer or server. The upload speed is often half or a quarter of the download speed. In the United States, more and more ISP's are offering higher levels of bandwidth. many cable companies are offering 100MBPS service in urban and suburban areas. The upload speeds are usually around 15-50 MBPS on most cable internet connections. When it comes to what is acceptable for trading, ideally you want to have bandwidth (speed) that is greater than 15 MBPS download, and at least 2.5MBPS upload. This will rule out T-1 and many DSL providers, but it will ensure you will have the bandwidth required to properly run and execute your trading platform. The higher you can get these numbers, the better. You DO NOT need a gigabit internet connection to trade successfully. If it is available and affordable, then definitely do it. But you do not need this amount of bandwidth if you are JUST trading. I have 2 internet connections here at my house. I have Cablevision (Optimum) with 100MBPS download and 35 MBPS upload, and I have Verizon FiOS with 60MBPS download and 60MBPS upload. I have my network configured so that my trading computer is the ONLY computer to use the Verizon internet connection so I get all the bandwidth available. However, if the Verizon internet connection goes down, I can easily switch over to the Cable connection with a minor change on my trading computer. Things that can affect speed/bandwidth and latency: Streaming audio or video: The chat room can sometimes be a pinch point because there is both audio AND video running. These both consume high amounts of bandwidth. If you only have 1 chatroom running it will be ok, but more than one will cause a problem. Streaming music services: Sites like Pandora, Spotify, even YouTube stream the data which means your computer is constantly receiving information to provide the content like music and video. If you don't have these running, then you won't kill your bandwidth. Cloud Backup Software: Software like Carbonite, CrashPlan, Jungle Disk, etc. will be sending data as it is being modified on your computer constantly to the backup server. Most of these applications will allow you to set a schedule of when to backup. I would recommend setting the schedule of these programs to backup outside of market hours. Websites with streaming data (including social media): Many sites like StockTwits, Live charting sites like TradingView, Facebook, etc. all stream data to your computer. While not as intensive as audio and video streaming, these will impact your bandwidth consumption. Cloud Sync Programs: Programs like Microsoft OneDrive/SharePoint, Google Drive, iCloud, etc all synchronize with the server whenever files are being changed. If you have a lot of data or synchronization going on, this will affect your bandwidth. Windows Update: Microsoft Windows Update (especially on Windows 10) seems to always like to run in the background. You can change the setting to only check for updates during specified times, but often your computer will still check and occasionally download these often large update files during random intervals. There is no SAFE way to stop this from happening (short of disabling Windows Updates which I DO NOT RECOMMEND). Just be mindful that if you experience an internet slowdown, it may be a result of Windows Updates being downloaded. The bottom line here is if you have a slower or high-latency connection, try to minimize the amount of bandwidth intensive programs that are running to ensure your trading platform data will be optimized and providing you with the most up-to-date information. Also make sure you don't have any other computers, phones, tablets, etc on your home network that are pulling a lot of data. If your wife or kids are streaming NFLX in the other room, well you are going to experience some latency and bandwidth issues. So be mindful of this. Also, make sure your trading computer is hard-wired to your router with an Ethernet cable. DO NOT USE WIFI to connect your trading computer to your internet. WiFi is substantially slower and highly susceptible to interference from other devices. You want a direct connection to your internet router. 1 switch in-between your computer and router is fine, but the more switches (or hops) that you add, the more latency you are adding to the data going/coming into your computer. This should cover most of the internet related questions/issues. As I said at the top of the post, please use http://www.speedtest.net to run a speedtest and post your results if you are unsure if your connection is suitable for day trading.

Frank, that's interesting. I have a good friend who is an EasyLanguage developer and used to work for TradeStation. He has tried the beta and says to stay away for now as there are a ton of issues with it (I mean it's a freakin beta!)

Abiel, those devices are SUPER finicky! I haven't used that one, but I've use the Startech devices and they were nothing but a headache! If you can't add an additional video card, but your machine support DisplayPort, you may be able to go the DisplayPort route instead.

Yea, Windows 10 is terrible for a few reasons which is why i stuck with Windows 7. I tried Windows 10 with Tradestation about a year ago when I built my trading rig, and TradeStation ran absolutely poorly. So I reverted back to Windows 7. I like what Tradestation has to offer, but it certainly lacks in some areas and the performance can be buggy at times.

Ryan, I will use your specs to guide me in acquiring the equipment, either off-the-shelf or through a custom builder. Actually, I am going to NY in a couple of months, maybe we can work something out. It would demand a lot more time for me to try to build it myself, and I want to focus as much time as possible to trading. Mario, absolutely! I live on Long Island, but if you give me a budget, I can easily build you a trading computer based on the specs I outlined (and within budget). This goes for anybody else that wants a custom computer built. I do this for a living and would love to help out the community!

Hi Frank2403, I have found Adam Grimes' books to be very useful for understanding technical analysis. While his books aren't geared towards Day Trading specifically, there is a lot of technical information that can be gleaned from these books. I have also read Brian Shanon's book as well and found it to be very helpful. The "Trading Price Action" series by Al Brooks also offer a lot of information, but the style that it's written will make you crazy! The Encyclopedia of Chart Patterns is also another good reference. What you will find is that 90% of all trading books cover the same material as outlined by Robby above. They speak about emotions, setting rules, having a plan, and having an understanding of the market that you are trying to trade. This is all fine and dandy, but when it comes to strategy and methodology, that's where Andrew's book really shines. With all the technical analysis and fundamental analysis books I've read, they only cover the theory of trading. Andrew's book definitely gives you a lot of solid information. While I don't think that Andrew's book is the end all be all", many books cover the same topics and premise. I encourage you to read as much as you can and take as many notes as possible but remember, it's all theory in the pages with perfect screenshots of what *should* happen. Books on emotions are really helpful as well, such as "Overcoming the 7 Deadly Sins of Trading" but at the end of the day, unless you actually implement these concepts, you aren't doing yourself much good. Let me know if you have any questions! There is a plethora of information when it comes to books out there and I've probably purchased or downloaded almost every trading book known to man!

Hi everybody! Not sure who on here live in the NY Metro area, but I would love to schedule a meetup at some point (maybe when the weather warms up, lol). I live on Long Island, but we can meetup in the city. If anybody else on here lives on the island, let me know!

Hi Everybody! My name is Ryan (Ryan W in the chatroom). I live on Long Island, NY and I'm an IT consultant with my own business. I have been in IT for about 15 years now (I'm 32 and got started when I was 15). I have Bachelor's Degree in Business Management with a concentration in Information Systems. I have always been interested in trading. One of my best friends is Jesse Colombo (look him up). He introduced me to trading and finance in general while we were in high school, but of course I was only concerned with girls at that time lol. As I got older, I realized how interesting the markets are. I love staring at charts and trying to understand the underlying sentiment and what is happening on the screen. I started swing trading more actively in 2010 and was basically just treading water. I wasn't a fan of the overnight risk and after having awoken to several of my positions being down due to news or earnings, I realized swing trading wasn't great for me. I started to look into day trading. I got involved with Trading Education company here in NY and provided IT services for them. I was exposed to day trading more and was really enthralled by what was happening. Of course, this particular company wasn't known for the most honest and realizable trading education, so I took what I saw with a grain of salt. I received some exposure to some really great traders and mentors though, but their strategies and styles never really worked for me. After almost 4 years of day trading and having whipsaw emotions and losses, I am happy I found Andrew. I bought his book and was literally on the verge of giving up, but seeing how he trades and understanding his style and strategy has helped me immensely! The IT field has changed dramatically from when I first got started, even when I was in school (seems like a million years ago) and I am just sick and tired of it. I have been wanting to switch over to full time trading for years now, but the strategy I was trying to make work never worked. The person that taught me doesn't trade this style (even though he teaches it) and it just ended up costing me a lot of time and money. Now that I am on the right track with Andrew, I really hope to move over to full time trading sooner than later. Since I work for myself, I am able to balance trading and my clients. Of course, some days that's not always the case, but it does give me the opportunity to have the exposure I need. I look forward to working with everybody both here in the forum and in the chat!