Originally posted by wilfran1pm
Sci the cost of Amibroker depends on the particular product version you purchase. The product versions are as follow:
Standard Edition - US$279
Professional Edition - US$339
Ultimate Pack Pro - US$499
The Ultimate pack Pro includes the Professional Edition as well as AmiQuote, which is a data downloader for free quotes that are available on the Internet, and the AFL Code Wizard, which is an intuitive user interface for generating trading system code.
Each Edition provides a single-user license. The software can be installed on multiple PC/Laptops etc. The license is also non-expiring, i.e. no ongoing fees, although you can purchase 2 year maintenance packs which gives you access to ongoing support and upgrades. I think the original purchase gives you 2 years of maintenance.
I purchased the Ultimate Pack Pro many years ago. I don’t know why but I was probably thinking that the Ultimate Pro version would improve my systems development efforts above that of the Standard version, but to date I haven’t used anything more than what is available in the Standard Edition. There’s lots of info on the Amibroker site re the differences between the various licenses.
The ASX data that I use is provided by Paritech. It’s EOD data that is available for download each hour of the trading day, i.e. hourly data snapshot downloads during the day. It costs AUS$415 p.a.
The US data that I use is provided by Premium Data. It’s EOD data that’s only available once the markets are closed. It cost AUS$462 p.a.
I wouldn’t even consider using the free data that is available as the manual maintenance work that would be required to keep it in sync with the actual markets would be horrendous. I download all the data into Metastock format databases, which Amibroker is happy to read. There is an Amibroker specific format that some RT data feeds support and that Premium Data supports as well. I believe that Premium Data also now provides FA data via their Amibroker specific data down load so you could if you wanted to include FA data in all of the Amibroker scans and backtests you develop.
I had a VectorVest subscription for 3 or 4 years and wanted to use VV to develop-some FA related market filters that I could incorporate into my TA systems. Although I tried I didn’t really ever get to the stage where I found VV all that useful. I think I was paying something like AUS$1,200 p.a. for the basic VV which included AUS and US data, and that was when the $AUS was close to par with the $US. And I didn’t have access to the VV Real Time stuff or even the basic TA stuff like moving average crossovers etc. So when the $AUS fell I decided it was time to ditch VV. To get anything like the TA functionality provided by Amibroker I think you would have to purchase VV RealTime which I think is currently about US$1295 pa (about AUS$1800 pa). My view, correct me if I am wrong, is that VV is focussed on FA analysis and medium to long term Investment strategies. I could never really understand why HC members who are active on the STT thread would ever be interested in using VV. I worked through all of the VV training stuff and the one rule that I can remember from Dr Bart DiLiddo, the original developer of VV, is that if a stock isn’t making money, i.e. has positive earnings, then don’t go anywhere near it! And I mean to say, how many stocks mentioned and discussed on the STT thread have positive earnings?
I’d be keen to hear how you use VV Sci. I know they were in the process of upgrading the TA type functionality when I left.
hey mate.
thanks for that info. I didnt know that amibroker had the AFL code wizard, that is something that interests me greatly. As for sharing code, thats up to you. I would definitely share that type of thing over email with any of you guys who are genuinely interested but wouldn't be putting up system specifics on here, just a little nudge towards the right resources to help you guys be able to confidently build your own. VVX and i have shared system specifics over email but i think youd be surprised how many people will read this and a system loses its edge with the more people that use it.
So did VV have the auto timer addon when you subscribed? thats what im using it for. If you know what it is then skip this but if you don't i dont mind explaining. I got the feeling that it was reasonably new addon feature.
So it automates your system (the search/ranking of the stocks, the parameters for the system, the market timing features and the profit/loss points) and updates it every night and sends you alerts according to your system or portfolio. Also keeps track of it all so you dont have to enter it all into excel!. I don't want to be doing any human input besides the execution of the trades. All the work goes in before the system goes live.
Did it have the backtester and the portfolio and genius function when you had it?
On top of this i have some external montecarlo testing i do with excel that i'd be happy to share.
Does Amibroker have a montecarlo testing function? One thing i find frustrating about the backtesting feature in VV for australia is taht it only goes back to 2007. The other countries go back a fair bit further. I currently have my second country set as canada and am using that for my out of sample testing. Was thinking of having a play around with one of the european markets next.
The autotimer add on was around $500AUD so i had a bit of a sunk cost but then more recently VVX and myself came second and third in the all countries system challenge and my cash prize nearly covered that cost and VVX's did with change. hoping we can go alright again next year!
All my systems are end of day and are shortish term, i htink the average hold on the system which makes up about 75% of my capital allocation is 1-2 months with some lasting only a week and so far none have lasted more than 3 months.
Yes i agree the STT content never really matched the stocks i was getting into with these new systems but i kept on hanging over there to keep my finger on the pulse. Even though i perfectly understand the theory side of it I am absolutely terrible at discretionary trading so i figured this was my only long term viable option if i wanted to trade long term. Just find a tiny edge and repeat it over and over and over and over.
One thing im happy to share is my performance graph. You will note my dispicable timing for launching these systems however they are still well within the max drawdowns that i got from backtesting and montecarlo testing.
Are you doing similar EOD stuff or shorter term intraday? do you use market timing?
here have a laugh at this
seems i launched on the 4th of sep. think i launched in august but didnt get any buy signals till september.
(20min delay)