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Question on accessing Exchange Spreads in IB Gateway


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  #1 (permalink)
 
Ming80's Avatar
 Ming80 
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Hi Guys,

I'm have been running Multicharts with IB gateway without much issues. However, the limitations with this setup is I cannot access exchange traded spreads during rollovers without logging back onto TWS. I was wondering if there were any workarounds where I could still seemlessly let MC continue to trade but yet execute rollovers with exchange traded spreads? I'm thinking there could be several possibilities but am not so sure:

1. Switch to TWS and execute the rollover
- Cons for this approach is that all the other strategies for other symbols stop autotrading during this time since MC has to disconnect from gateway.

2. Maintain Gateway but just manually leg rollovers through the MC DOM
- Cons are giving up the few ticks or legging risk during the rollover.

3. Switch completely to TWS for the entire week of rollover
- A quick search I did found some tools such as IBController or TWSStart to keep TWS up and running but I am clueless as to how these tools actually work and would like to hear any experience with them and if this still works with IB security cards.

4. Connect another 3rd party api to Gateway and access/execute exchange spreads
- This might be the ideal situation but is there such any ideas what software could do this?

Pleased to hear any suggestions or tips on how you guys best manage rollovers with autotrading strategies. Thanks!


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  #3 (permalink)
 
sam028's Avatar
 sam028 
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@Ming80, I don't see where is your problem.
TWS connected to Multicharts is doing the same job as IB Gateway connected to Multicharts, it's just a bridge to get data and send orders. Can you send us more details?

TWSStart is working well, but as you're not suppose to have to use TWS you're not supposed to need it .


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Ming80's Avatar
 Ming80 
Singapore
 
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Hi Sam,

Indeed, the issue is not IB gateway but a limitation of Multicharts. MC currently supports most instrument types so you can access IB's futures,stocks,options, forex,CFD's etc ... but not exchange traded spreads. Therein lies the problem where you have to either manually leg it or switch back to TWS to access the spreads. In both cases not really ideal.


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sam028's Avatar
 sam028 
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Ming80 View Post
Hi Sam,

Indeed, the issue is not IB gateway but a limitation of Multicharts. MC currently supports most instrument types so you can access IB's futures,stocks,options, forex,CFD's etc ... but not exchange traded spreads. Therein lies the problem where you have to either manually leg it or switch back to TWS to access the spreads. In both cases not really ideal.

Did you tried to create the symbol manually in MC, as a spread or future as the instrument category?


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  #6 (permalink)
 
Ming80's Avatar
 Ming80 
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sam028 View Post
Did you tried to create the symbol manually in MC, as a spread or future as the instrument category?

Yeah, won't work. MC doesn't have a spread category and they've said before they don't support exchange spreads so you can't add it. Using the symbol under the futures doesn't show any spreads and I don't think there is a specific symbol in IB for exchange spreads unless I'm mistaken. Anybody using other tools to access exchange spreads via IB gateway?


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