You sit down at your desk, open MetaTrader, and begin checking charts for development alerts. EURUSD M15 — sideways. Change to H1 — nonetheless unclear. Open GBPUSD H4 — possibly one thing forming. Then USDJPY, AUDUSD, USDCAD. Thirty minutes move and you’ve got checked six pairs on two timeframes. In the meantime, the clear HalfTrend BUY sign that fired on XAUUSD H4 two bars in the past — the one which preceded a 300-pip rally — went utterly unnoticed since you by no means received to it.
That is the basic problem of trend-following buying and selling. The strategy itself is without doubt one of the most dependable strategies in technical evaluation: determine the route of the prevailing development and commerce in alignment with it. However scanning for development alerts manually throughout a number of symbols and a number of timeframes is gradual, error-prone, and impractical. In the event you monitor 20 devices throughout 9 timeframes, that’s 180 particular person chart views to guage each time you sit all the way down to search for setups.
I constructed the Aero Pulse Dashboard indicator to unravel this downside. It applies the HalfTrend algorithm throughout all of your symbols and timeframes concurrently, shows each energetic BUY and SELL sign in a single interactive dashboard, and alerts you the second a brand new development change happens — on display, through sound, by e mail, or as a push notification to your cellphone. Indicators are confirmed on bar shut, so they don’t repaint. One click on on any dashboard row navigates your chart on to that sign for visible affirmation.
On this article, I’ll clarify the rules of trend-following buying and selling, stroll by way of how the HalfTrend algorithm works, after which present you precisely how the Aero Pulse Dashboard turns these ideas right into a sensible scanning workflow. Whether or not you might be new to development buying and selling or an skilled dealer on the lookout for higher instruments, this information covers every thing from concept to execution.
The indicator is out there on the MQL5 Marketplace for each platforms:
What Is Development-Following Buying and selling?
Development-following is a buying and selling technique constructed on a single precept: value tends to proceed transferring in its present route extra typically than it reverses. Slightly than attempting to foretell turning factors, development followers determine the prevailing route and commerce with it till the proof says the development has modified.
This strategy works as a result of tendencies are usually not random. They emerge from structural forces out there: central financial institution insurance policies that drive multi-month forex actions, institutional order movement that creates sustained shopping for or promoting strain, and financial cycles that push commodities and indices in a single route for prolonged intervals. When a big fund begins accumulating a place, its shopping for exercise pushes value increased over days or even weeks. Different contributors acknowledge the development and add their orders, making a self-reinforcing cycle.
Determine a Development
At its easiest, a development is outlined by the construction of swing factors on the chart:
- Uptrend: value types increased highs (HH) and increased lows (HL). Every rally pushes past the earlier peak, and every pullback holds above the earlier low.
- Downtrend: value types decrease highs (LH) and decrease lows (LL). Every decline pushes beneath the earlier trough, and every bounce fails to achieve the earlier excessive.
When this construction breaks — for instance, an uptrend that makes a decrease low — it alerts that the development could also be reversing.
Determine 1. Uptrends type increased highs/increased lows (BUY); downtrends type decrease highs/decrease lows (SELL).
The Problem
Figuring out tendencies visually is simple on a single chart. The problem lies in scale. Fashionable merchants monitor foreign exchange pairs, metals, indices, and crypto property throughout a number of timeframes. The development on EURUSD H1 could battle with the development on EURUSD D1. A BUY sign on GBPUSD M15 means nothing if the H4 development is firmly bearish. The true ability in development following shouldn’t be recognizing tendencies — it’s systematically scanning for aligned alerts throughout your complete watchlist.
The HalfTrend Algorithm Defined
The HalfTrend indicator is a trend-following software designed to deal with a standard frustration with conventional transferring common techniques: they’re both too responsive (producing too many false alerts throughout sideways markets) or too gradual (confirming development adjustments solely after a good portion of the transfer has already occurred).
HalfTrend takes a unique strategy. As an alternative of a single transferring common, it makes use of the easy transferring common (SMA) of each the excessive and low costs over a configurable interval referred to as the amplitude. It then compares these smoothed values towards the excessive excessive and low costs throughout the similar amplitude window. A sign is just generated when each situations align: the smoothed value crosses its reference stage AND the shut confirms by exceeding the earlier bar’s vary.
How Indicators Are Generated
The logic works as follows:
BUY sign: The SMA of lows rises above the minimal of current excessive costs, AND the shut exceeds the earlier bar’s excessive. This means that the market has transitioned from a downtrend to an uptrend with confirmed momentum.
SELL sign: The SMA of highs drops beneath the utmost of current low costs, AND the shut falls beneath the earlier bar’s low. This confirms a transition from an uptrend to a downtrend.
The Amplitude Parameter
The amplitude is the one most vital parameter. It controls the SMA interval used for each the excessive and low calculations:
- Decrease amplitude (2-3): The SMA reacts rapidly to cost adjustments. Extra alerts are generated, however some could also be false throughout ranging markets. Finest for scalping and quick timeframes (M5-M30).
- Greater amplitude (4-6): The SMA smooths out extra noise. Fewer alerts, however every one tends to be extra dependable. Higher for intraday and swing timeframes (H1-W1).
This dual-confirmation mechanism — requiring each the SMA crossover and a close-based breakout — is what offers HalfTrend its edge over easy MA crossover techniques. It produces fewer alerts throughout uneven markets whereas nonetheless catching development reversals comparatively early.
Determine 2. The HalfTrend algorithm makes use of SMA of highs/lows and excessive value ranges to generate development alerts.
Why Guide Development Scanning Fails
Regardless of its effectiveness, trend-following buying and selling has sensible bottlenecks that restrict most merchants. The issue shouldn’t be the technique — it’s the execution.
Drawback 1: Too Many Charts
In the event you commerce 20 symbols and monitor 9 timeframes (M1 by way of MN), that’s 180 particular person chart views. Even spending simply 30 seconds per chart means 90 minutes of scanning. By the point you end, the alerts from the primary charts you checked could have already performed out. And throughout the scan, you might be prone to miss alerts on charts you skimmed too rapidly.
Determine 3. Guide scanning throughout 180 chart mixtures vs. automated Aero Pulse dashboard scanning.
Drawback 2: Lagging or Repainting Indicators
Many development indicators available on the market use the present forming bar (bar 0) of their calculations. Whereas the bar continues to be forming, the sign can seem, disappear, and reappear on each tick. The historic chart appears good as a result of solely the ultimate result’s saved, however in dwell buying and selling these repainting alerts result in untimely entries and frustration.
Drawback 3: Conflicting Indicators Throughout Timeframes
The M15 chart reveals a BUY sign, however H4 reveals a SELL. D1 reveals no sign in any respect. With no systematic option to view all timeframes concurrently, merchants typically take low-timeframe alerts that run instantly into higher-timeframe resistance — a recipe for repeated stop-outs.
Drawback 4: Missed Entries
Even if you spot a respectable development sign manually, the time it takes to determine it, change charts, consider the context, and put together an order could price you the optimum entry. HalfTrend alerts are time-sensitive — the development transfer typically accelerates throughout the first few bars after affirmation.
These 4 issues are why I constructed the Aero Pulse Dashboard. It addresses each certainly one of them: automated scanning throughout all symbols and timeframes, non-repainting confirmed alerts, clear multi-timeframe visibility in a single view, and prompt alerts the second a brand new development sign types.
Introducing the Aero Pulse Dashboard
The Aero Pulse Dashboard is a multi-symbol multi-timeframe development scanner constructed on the HalfTrend algorithm. It displays as much as 20 symbols throughout 9 timeframes and shows each energetic BUY/SELL sign in a single interactive dashboard panel.
Key options:
- HalfTrend-based detection: The confirmed HalfTrend algorithm with configurable amplitude
- Non-repainting alerts: Default mode makes use of bar-close affirmation (signalBar = 1) — alerts by no means disappear as soon as confirmed
- Interactive scrollable dashboard: Mouse wheel scrolling, draggable scrollbar, arrow buttons
- One-click chart navigation: Click on any “Chart” button to immediately change your chart to that image and timeframe
- Yellow candle highlighting: The precise sign affirmation bar is highlighted in yellow on the chart
- BUY/SELL arrows and labels: Clear “BUY ENTRY” and “SELL ENTRY” textual content labels with customizable arrow markers
- 4-channel alerts: Popup, sound, e mail, and push notifications with good deduplication
- Dealer prefix/suffix help: Works with any dealer naming conference (xEURUSD, EURUSD.professional, and many others.)
The indicator is out there on the MQL5 Market with a free demo obtain:
Determine 4. The Aero Pulse Dashboard shows BUY/SELL alerts for all image/timeframe mixtures.
How the Detection Engine Works
Underneath the hood, the Aero Pulse Dashboard runs the HalfTrend calculation independently for every image/timeframe mixture. Right here is how the engine operates:
HalfTrend calculation: For every mixture, it computes the SMA of excessive costs and SMA of low costs over the amplitude interval. It concurrently tracks the acute excessive and excessive low throughout the amplitude window. A development transition is detected when the smoothed transferring common crosses the acute value threshold AND the shut confirms the breakout.
Sign affirmation: The engine checks the present development route towards the earlier bar’s development route. When development[signalBar] differs from development[signalBar + 1] , a sign is generated. The route (0 = Up/BUY, 1 = Down/SELL) and the variety of bars for the reason that final change (the “Age”) are recorded.
Non-repainting mechanism: By default, signalBar = 1 , which implies the indicator solely evaluates the final totally closed bar. Since a closed bar’s OHLC values by no means change, the sign calculation is everlasting. As soon as a BUY or SELL sign seems, it stays. For aggressive merchants who need quicker entries, there’s an choice to make use of bar 0 (present forming bar), however that is clearly labeled as probably repainting.
Environment friendly scanning: On MT5, the engine tracks the final bar time for every image/timeframe pair. Recalculation solely happens when a brand new bar types — not on each tick. This retains CPU utilization low even when monitoring 180 mixtures.
Sign age monitoring: The “Age” column within the dashboard reveals what number of bars in the past the present development route started. A sign displaying “1 bar” simply confirmed on the final closed bar. A sign displaying “45 bars” has been operating for 45 bars — helpful for distinguishing recent entry alternatives from established tendencies.
The Interactive Dashboard
The dashboard shows six columns of data for every sign:
| Column | Content material | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| Image | Instrument identify (e.g., EURUSD) | Identifies the market |
| Timeframe | Interval (e.g., H4, M15) | Identifies the chart timeframe |
| Path | Up or Down with arrow icon | Reveals present HalfTrend route |
| Sample | Lengthy or Brief | Confirms commerce route |
| Age | Variety of bars since sign | Measures sign freshness |
| Chart | Clickable button | Navigates chart to this sign |
The dashboard is totally interactive. Use your mouse wheel to scroll by way of rows, or click on the up/down arrow buttons on the scrollbar. You may as well click on and drag the scrollbar thumb for fast navigation. The “Chart” button is the important thing workflow ingredient: clicking it immediately switches your chart to the corresponding image and timeframe, attracts BUY/SELL arrows on the sign areas, highlights the affirmation bar in yellow, and provides textual content labels.
Determine 5. Chart reveals BUY/SELL arrows, textual content labels, and yellow highlighted sign bars.
Dealer prefix and suffix settings make sure the dashboard works no matter your dealer’s naming format. In case your dealer names EURUSD as “xEURUSD” or “EURUSD.professional”, merely set the prefix or suffix parameter and the dashboard handles the conversion mechanically.
4-Channel Alert System
The Aero Pulse Dashboard helps 4 unbiased alert channels:
- Popup alerts: On-screen notification inside MetaTrader
- Sound alerts: Audible alert utilizing a configurable WAV file
- Electronic mail alerts: Despatched to the e-mail configured in MetaTrader’s Instruments > Choices > Electronic mail
- Push notifications: Delivered to the MetaTrader cellular app through MetaQuotes ID
Every channel might be enabled or disabled independently. The alert system contains good deduplication: as soon as an alert fires for a particular image/timeframe/route mixture, it won’t repeat till the sign adjustments. This prevents alert flooding when monitoring many mixtures.
The alert message format contains the image, timeframe, and route, supplying you with all the data wanted to guage the sign even from a cellular notification. A typical workflow: arrange the dashboard in your VPS or house laptop, allow push notifications, and obtain real-time development change alerts in your cellphone wherever you might be.
Sensible Buying and selling Workflow
Here’s a step-by-step strategy to buying and selling with the Aero Pulse Dashboard:
Step 1 — Setup: Enter your symbols within the Symbols enter (comma-separated, as much as 20). Allow the timeframes you need to monitor. Set the amplitude based mostly in your buying and selling model (2 for scalping, 3-4 for intraday, 5-6 for swing). The dashboard will instantly start scanning.
Step 2 — Monitor: The dashboard updates mechanically when new bars type. Look ahead to recent alerts — rows the place the Age column reveals 1-5 bars are probably the most actionable.
Step 3 — Consider: If you spot a recent sign, click on the “Chart” button to leap on to that chart. Look at the value motion across the sign: the place are the closest help/resistance ranges? Is there a clear development construction?
Step 4 — Multi-Timeframe Affirmation: That is the crucial filter. Examine if the upper timeframe agrees with the decrease timeframe sign. If the dashboard reveals EURUSD H4 as “Up / Lengthy” and EURUSD H1 additionally reveals “Up / Lengthy”, that could be a high-probability setup. If H4 reveals “Down / Brief” however M15 reveals “Up / Lengthy”, the M15 sign is counter-trend and carries increased danger.
Step 5 — Execute: Enter on the open of the following candle after confirming the setup. Place your cease loss beneath the newest swing low (for BUY) or above the newest swing excessive (for SELL). The yellow candle highlighting reveals precisely the place the sign confirmed, serving to you determine the suitable cease stage.
Step 6 — Handle: Use the Age column to trace how lengthy your sign has been operating. Set alerts in your present positions so you might be notified if the development route adjustments.
Determine 6. A sensible 6-step workflow for development buying and selling utilizing the Aero Pulse Dashboard.
Actual Commerce Examples
The next screenshots present the Aero Pulse Dashboard in motion throughout completely different asset lessons and timeframes. Every instance was captured from a dwell MT4 chart operating the indicator.
EURUSD H4 — Foreign exchange Main
The chart reveals EURUSD on the H4 timeframe with each a BUY ENTRY and SELL ENTRY sign seen. The dashboard panel on the backside shows EURUSD throughout a number of timeframes, with the H4 row highlighted and related to the chart by a crimson line. The yellow candle marks the precise bar the place the development change confirmed. Discover how the BUY sign preceded a sustained upward transfer, whereas the following SELL sign caught the reversal.
Determine 8. EURUSD H4 displaying BUY and SELL alerts with dashboard highlighting the energetic timeframe.
GBPUSD M15 — Brief-Timeframe Scalping
This M15 chart demonstrates the responsiveness of the HalfTrend algorithm at default amplitude 2. A number of alternating BUY ENTRY and SELL ENTRY alerts seem because the development shifted route repeatedly throughout the session. The dashboard reveals GBPUSD M15 highlighted, confirming the sign seen on the chart. One of these fast sign era is right for scalpers who need to catch each swing inside an intraday session.
Determine 9. GBPUSD M15 with a number of alternating BUY/SELL alerts for intraday scalping.
USDCAD M15 — Buying and selling a Downtrend
The USDCAD M15 chart reveals alerts inside a broader downtrend. The dashboard shows the USDCAD M15 row highlighted, and the chart reveals each BUY and SELL alerts. In a state of affairs like this, the multi-timeframe affirmation workflow turns into important: if the H4 or D1 additionally reveals Down/Brief, solely the SELL alerts on M15 must be traded. The BUY alerts signify counter-trend pullbacks that carry increased danger.
Determine 10. USDCAD M15 displaying alerts in a broader downtrend — multi-TF filtering is important.
XAUUSD H4 — Gold
Gold (XAUUSD) on the H4 timeframe reveals a SELL ENTRY on the high of a rally adopted by two BUY ENTRY alerts as gold reversed increased. The dashboard reveals XAUUSD H4 highlighted. Gold’s tendency for prolonged tendencies makes it a wonderful instrument for the HalfTrend algorithm. The H4 timeframe with amplitude 2 captures the most important swings whereas filtering out the noise that plagues shorter timeframes on unstable devices.
Determine 11. XAUUSD H4 capturing main development swings on gold with clear BUY/SELL alerts.
XAGUSD M15 — Silver
Silver (XAGUSD) on the M15 timeframe reveals alerts throughout an uptrend. The dashboard shows each US500 and XAGUSD rows, with the XAGUSD M15 row highlighted. The SELL and BUY alerts mark short-term development adjustments throughout the broader upward construction. Metals merchants can use the Age column to distinguish recent alerts from mature ones which have already moved considerably.
Determine 12. XAGUSD M15 alerts in an uptrend — Age column helps determine recent vs stale alerts.
US500 H1 — S&P 500 Index
The US500 (S&P 500) on the H1 timeframe reveals a number of BUY and SELL alerts throughout a trending session. The dashboard shows the US500 H1 row highlighted. Index buying and selling advantages from the non-repainting nature of the indicator: every sign locks in place after bar shut, so there isn’t a ambiguity about whether or not the sign existed on the time of buying and selling.
Determine 13. US500 H1 demonstrating non-repainting alerts on a serious inventory index.
BTCUSD H1 — Bitcoin with Multi-Image Monitoring
The BTCUSD H1 chart reveals BUY and SELL alerts on Bitcoin. The dashboard panel reveals each BTCUSD and ETHUSD rows, demonstrating how the indicator displays a number of crypto property concurrently. The one-click Chart button makes it simple to modify between BTCUSD and ETHUSD to match development alignment throughout the crypto market.
Determine 14. BTCUSD H1 with ETHUSD additionally seen within the dashboard for cross-crypto evaluation.
Amplitude Tuning Information
The amplitude parameter is the one adjustment that determines how delicate the Aero Pulse Dashboard is to development adjustments. Here’s a sensible information:
Amplitude 2 (Default)
Probably the most responsive setting. The SMA makes use of a 2-period window, making it react rapidly to cost adjustments. Finest for scalping on M5-M30 timeframes the place you need to catch each swing. Anticipate extra alerts, together with some which will reverse rapidly in uneven markets.
Amplitude 3-4
A balanced setting that filters out extra noise whereas nonetheless catching development adjustments comparatively early. Good for intraday buying and selling on H1-H4 timeframes. It is a stable selection for merchants who need fewer however extra dependable alerts.
Amplitude 5-6
A conservative setting that solely triggers on extra vital development adjustments. Finest for swing buying and selling on D1-W1 timeframes the place you need to seize main directional strikes and maintain positions for days or even weeks.
Amplitude 8+
Very conservative. Indicators are uncommon however have a tendency to point main development shifts. Appropriate for place merchants or for filtering on month-to-month charts.
Select
Begin with the default amplitude of two. In the event you discover you might be getting too many false alerts in your most popular timeframe, enhance the amplitude by 1 and observe the distinction. The objective is to seek out the setting the place the alerts align effectively with the tradeable strikes in your particular devices and timeframes.
Determine 7. Decrease amplitude = extra alerts (scalping); increased amplitude = fewer however stronger alerts (swing).
Parameter Reference Information
Dashboard Settings
| Parameter | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Symbols | EURUSD,GBPUSD,USDCAD,USDJPY | Comma-separated checklist (as much as 20) |
| Image Prefix | (empty) | Dealer prefix, e.g., “x” for xEURUSD |
| Image Suffix | (empty) | Dealer suffix, e.g., “.professional” for EURUSD.professional |
| Allow M1-MN | M5-W1 enabled | Toggle every of the 9 timeframes on/off |
| Seen Rows | 12 | Variety of rows seen within the dashboard |
Aero Pulse Settings
| Parameter | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Amplitude | 2 | HalfTrend sensitivity (increased = fewer alerts) |
| Max Historical past Bars | 500 | Most bars to calculate per image/timeframe |
Chart Arrow Settings
| Parameter | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Present BUY/SELL Arrows | true | Draw arrow markers on chart |
| Present BUY/SELL Textual content Labels | true | Draw “BUY ENTRY” / “SELL ENTRY” textual content |
| BUY Arrow Coloration | Lime | Coloration of BUY arrows |
| SELL Arrow Coloration | Crimson | Coloration of SELL arrows |
| Arrow Dimension | 4 | Arrow measurement (1-5 scale) |
| Arrow Hole | 0.8 | Distance from candle (ATR multiplier) |
| Label Hole | 1.8 | Textual content label distance (ATR multiplier) |
| BUY Arrow Wingdings | 233 | Wingdings character code for BUY arrow |
| SELL Arrow Wingdings | 234 | Wingdings character code for SELL arrow |
Alert Settings
| Parameter | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Alert Title | Aero Pulse Dashboard | Title proven in alert messages |
| Popup Alerts | true | Allow on-screen popup notifications |
| Sound Alerts | true | Allow audible alerts |
| Sound File | alert2.wav | WAV file for sound alerts |
| Electronic mail Alerts | false | Allow e mail notifications |
| Push Notifications | true | Allow cellular push through MetaQuotes ID |
| Alert on Present Bar | false | Use bar 0 as a substitute of bar 1 (could repaint) |
Ideas and Finest Practices
Greater timeframe = extra dependable alerts. An H4 BUY sign is inherently extra dependable than an M5 BUY sign as a result of it displays a bigger structural development change. Use decrease timeframes for entry timing, not for development route.
Multi-timeframe affirmation is important. Probably the most highly effective filter out there within the Aero Pulse Dashboard is solely checking that the upper timeframe agrees with the decrease timeframe. Solely take M15 BUY alerts when H4 additionally reveals Up/Lengthy.
Use the Age column correctly. Indicators displaying 1-5 bars are recent and provide the perfect entry alternatives. Indicators at 20+ bars are established tendencies — good for confirming route, however the optimum entry level could have already handed.
Keep away from buying and selling towards main information occasions. The HalfTrend algorithm, like all technical indicators, can’t predict basic shocks. Cut back place sizes or keep away from new entries throughout main financial releases.
Match amplitude to your devices. Amplitude 2-3 works effectively for liquid foreign exchange pairs on quick timeframes. For unstable devices like gold or crypto, take into account amplitude 4-6 to filter out whipsaws. For indices on each day charts, amplitude 5-6 supplies clear swing alerts.
Yellow candle = your cease stage reference. The highlighted yellow candle marks the precise bar the place the development confirmed. Place your cease loss simply past the excessive or low of this candle (or the closest swing level) for precision danger administration.
Non-repainting by default, however current-bar mode exists. The “Alert on Present Bar” choice allows quicker alerts utilizing bar 0, however alerts could change earlier than the bar closes. Use this mode provided that you perceive the trade-off and actively handle the extra danger.
Conclusion
Development-following stays probably the most constantly worthwhile approaches in technical evaluation. The problem has by no means been the technique itself — it has been the sensible problem of scanning a number of markets throughout a number of timeframes effectively and with out lacking alerts.
The Aero Pulse Dashboard solves this by making use of the HalfTrend algorithm to your complete watchlist concurrently. It delivers non-repainting BUY and SELL alerts in a transparent, interactive dashboard with one-click chart navigation, yellow candle highlighting for exact entry timing, and 4-channel alerts so that you by no means miss a development change.
Whether or not you might be scalping foreign exchange on M15, swing buying and selling gold on H4, or monitoring crypto and indices throughout all timeframes, the Aero Pulse Dashboard offers you a scientific edge.
Obtain the free demo and take a look at it by yourself charts:
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