What It Is
- Automated Trading System: Expert Advisor (EA) for MetaTrader 4 platform
- Strategy Type: Grid trading with recovery mechanism
- Version: 4.0 (Latest stable release)
- Developer: Ahmad Dahalan
- Purpose: Designed to test and analyze grid trading as an alternative to traditional martingale strategies
Development Purpose
- Risk Assessment: Study drawdown sustainability with a $500 account
- Performance Testing: Measure daily profit potential while maintaining <50% drawdown
- Session Analysis: Evaluate strategy effectiveness across different market sessions:
- Asian Open/Close
- London Open/Close
- New York Open/Close
- Overlapping sessions
- Stopout Analysis: Determine maximum sustainable drawdown before account stopout
Trading Setup & Configuration
Core Trading Parameters
| Setting | Default | Range | Description |
|---|
| Initial Lot Size | 0.01 | 0.01-100 | Starting position size in lots |
| Grid Spacing | 200 pts | 10-1000 | Distance between grid levels in points |
| Lot Multiplier | 2.0x | 1.1-5.0x | How much each subsequent position increases |
| Max Trades | 8 | 1-20 | Maximum number of concurrent positions |
| Take Profit | $2.00 | $0.10-$1000 | Profit target to close all positions |
Trading Schedule Options
- Predefined Sessions:
- London Open/Close
- New York Open/Close
- Tokyo Open/Close
- Sydney Open/Close
- Custom Hours: Set specific trading times
- Friday Close: Optional automatic position closure before weekend
Risk Management Features
Built-in Protections
- Spread Filter: Blocks trading if spread exceeds threshold (default: 30 points)
- Daily Loss Limit: Optional maximum daily drawdown protection
- Max Drawdown: Account-level risk control
- Max Cycle Trades: Limits number of trades per grid cycle
- Slippage Control: Configurable maximum acceptable slippage
Position Management
- Automatic lot sizing based on grid level
- Configurable trade direction (Auto/Always Buy/Always Sell)
- Option to use Moving Average for trade direction
- Visual indicators for open positions and grid levels
Monitoring & Display
On-Chart Indicators
- Profit/Loss Display: Real-time account performance
- Spread Monitor: Current and average spread values
- Max Lot Indicator: Shows largest position in current cycle
- Daily Separators: Visual markers for each trading day
- Trading Session Lines: Marks active trading periods
- Floating P&L monitoring
- Historical drawdown recording
- Trade cycle statistics
- Daily profit/loss calculation
How the Grid System Works
- Initial Position:
- Opens first trade based on selected direction
- Can use MA crossover or fixed direction
- Grid Placement:
- Places pending orders above/below current price
- Grid spacing determines order distances
- Each level uses larger position size (multiplier)
- Recovery Mechanism:
- As price moves against positions, new trades are opened
- Larger positions help recover losses when price reverses
- All positions close when total profit target is reached
- Cycle Management:
- Tracks complete trade cycles
- Records performance metrics
- Can limit cycles per day
Testing Methodology
Account Parameters
- Starting Balance: $500
- Risk Parameters:
- Max 50% drawdown ($250)
- Daily loss limits
- Position sizing relative to account balance
Testing Phases
- Initial Testing:
- Micro lots (0.01) only
- Conservative grid spacing
- Low risk settings
- Session Analysis:
- Compare performance across different market sessions
- Identify most favorable trading times
- Adjust parameters per session
- Drawdown Testing:
- Measure maximum sustainable drawdown
- Calculate recovery rates
- Determine optimal risk parameters
Technical Requirements
- MetaTrader 4 (Build 600+ recommended)
- Windows OS (7/8/10/11)
- Stable internet connection
Broker Requirements
- Low latency execution
- Competitive spreads
- No restrictions on:
- Grid trading
- Hedging
- EA trading
- News trading
Recommended Settings
- M15 or higher timeframes
- Major currency pairs
- Minimum account balance: $500
This EA is designed for traders who understand grid trading risks and want an automated solution with robust risk management features.
Result
Conclusion
Deposit = $500
Initial lot size 0.01
Multiplier = 2.0x
Drawdown too high