i find it better to have your trading computor set to what ever session you trade via US, ASIA, LONDON

Hi,
It seems a problem (or maybe not) when NT7 is working with IB as data-feed.
I've tried to work with NT Support team but can't get it resolved.
My local time zone is UTC+8.

When I plot the chart, I noticed that the time on the chart is using local PC clock time.
For equities, the chart shows 9.30pm (today) to 4am (the next day).
I'm using session template "US Equities RTH" with "The sessions are based on the following time zone ..." set as UTC-5.
I noticed that the data retrieved from IB stored in the Historical Data Manager also used the local PC clock time.
I want both the chart & data collected from IB to show exact EST. Can I do it?
I've worked with NT support team & their solution is to set my local PC clock time to EST.
Please advise if there is another way to do it without touching my local PC clock time.
I'm concerned whether the data loaded from IB using local PC clock time will have any implication when I use them for backtesting, strategy development, etc. Hence, I would like the data with exchange time captured.

I've tried the following options & they didn't work too.

1. I've copied the "US Equities RTH" template & changed the time zone to UTC+8.
Result: Chart not populated with any bar.

2. I've copied the "US Equities RTF" template & changed the 5 trading days as
Mon 9pm to Tue 4am
Tue 9pm to Wed 4am
:
Fri 9pm to Sat 4am
Time zone set to UTC-5 (EST)
Result: Chart not populated with any bar.

3. Same as (2) except time zone set to UTC+8
Result: Chart shows local PC clock time again. The data loaded in Historical Data Manager is also using local PC clock time again.

For the past year or so I've been using Sierra Chart exclusively, and I plot all charts in Exchange time. Much easier this way.

You should make sure there is already a feature request for this capability in NT8:

Unofficial NinjaTrader 8 wish list thread (NT8)! Hi, I'm opening unofficial NT8 wish list thread! Since Ray has been so good to us with his presentations etc, I thought we'd compile a list and pass it on to Ray through BM. So here're my first suggestions: 1) Make both IDataSeries and …

Mike

NLD1888 

Hi, It seems a problem (or maybe not) when NT7 is working with IB as data-feed. I've tried to work with NT Support team but can't get it resolved. My local time zone is UTC+8. When I plot the chart, I noticed that the time on the chart is using local PC clock time.

NinjaTrader always shows local time.

NLD1888 

For equities, the chart shows 9.30pm (today) to 4am (the next day). I'm using session template "US Equities RTH" with "The sessions are based on the following time zone ..." set as UTC-5.

This is correct. The US currently has summertime, so the difference with UniversalTime is reduced to 4 hours. As your UTC + 8, the total difference between US and you is 12 hours, and the US stock market opens at 9:30 PM your time.

NLD1888 

I noticed that the data retrieved from IB stored in the Historical Data Manager also used the local PC clock time.

NinjaTrader always stores data by using timestamps of your local time. This is in fact a very bad choice, for several reasons

-> in case that your local time switches from summertime to wintertime and the exchange time does not, you will get two bars with the same timestamp
-> you cannot share your data easily with somebody located in a different time zone

But things are as they are, so we have to accept it.

NLD1888 

I want both the chart & data collected from IB to show exact EST. Can I do it? I've worked with NT support team & their solution is to set my local PC clock time to EST. Please advise if there is another way to do it without touching my local PC clock time.

The only way you can do that with NinjaTrader is to set your system clock to EST.

NLD1888 

I'm concerned whether the data loaded from IB using local PC clock time will have any implication when I use them for backtesting, strategy development, etc. Hence, I would like the data with exchange time captured.

If you use local time, there will be now implication on backtesting and strategy development. However, if you use time filters, you would need to use exchange time and then convert it to local time. This is not difficult to do with NinjaScript, see below.

NLD1888 

I've tried the following options & they didn't work too. 1. I've copied the "US Equities RTH" template & changed the time zone to UTC+8. Result: Chart not populated with any bar. 2. I've copied the "US Equities RTF" template & changed the 5 trading days as Mon 9pm to Tue 4am Tue 9pm to Wed 4am : Fri 9pm to Sat 4am Time zone set to UTC-5 (EST) Result: Chart not populated with any bar. 3. Same as (2) except time zone set to UTC+8 Result: Chart shows local PC clock time again. The data loaded in Historical Data Manager is also using local PC clock time again.

Do not play around with templates, in the end you will make things worse. The template ALWAYS AND WITH NO EXCEPTION needs to use exchange time. If you do not follow this rule you will run into daylight savings and other issues. Never use the template 24/7, never use the template 24/5. They are useless. Store the appropriate template for each instrument and save it under instrument settings, only use charts with instrument settings.

If you follow this rule all your strategies and backtests will work correctly.

The only thing that you need to pay attention to is time filters. You strategy runs in local time. The logic of your timefilter needs to follow exchange time, so you need to convert those times.

Example: In a strategy you only want to enter a trade between 9:30 AM and 11:30 AM or 2:00 PM and 3:45 PM exchange time. Now you cannot simply add 13 hours to the time window in exchange time and then use the result in local time. This will fail, because the time difference between EST and your timezone is 12 hours in summer, but 13 hours in winter. Your backtest will go wrong.

NinjaScript provides an easy way of converting the exchange time windows to your local time. The method reads

 

Code

localTime = TimeZoneInfo.ConvertTime(exchangeTime, Bars.Session.TimeZoneInfo, TimeZoneInfo.Local);

Enter the time filters in exchange time and then convert them, and you will not run into issues.

None of the above is linked to Interactive Brokers.

Fat Tails 

NinjaTrader always stores data by using timestamps of your local time. This is in fact a very bad choice, for several reasons -> in case that your local time switches from summertime to wintertime and the exchange time does not, you will get two bars with the same timestamp -> you cannot share your data easily with somebody located in a different time zone But things are as they are, so we have to accept it.

Have you made an official request for this to be changed, or posted it here:

Unofficial NinjaTrader 8 wish list thread (NT8)! Hi, I'm opening unofficial NT8 wish list thread! Since Ray has been so good to us with his presentations etc, I thought we'd compile a list and pass it on to Ray through BM. So here're my first suggestions: 1) Make both IDataSeries and …

Mike

Big Mike 

Have you made an official request for this to be changed, or posted it here: Unofficial NinjaTrader 8 wish list thread (NT8)! Hi, I'm opening unofficial NT8 wish list thread! Since Ray has been so good to us with his presentations etc, I thought we'd compile a list and pass it on to Ray through BM. So here're my first suggestions: 1) Make both IDataSeries and … Mike

No, I have not.

Fat Tails,
Thank you for your quick response. I guess the best way is to set the PC clock time to EST to avoid all the trouble.

BM,
I'll write something on the linked tread that you have suggested for NT8.

All our trading computers are set to EST. We also have additional computer clocks that show london and HK. It gets me in the mood/mode and makes it a little easier as when they ring the bell at 9:30 and market opens I'm not double checking my time and getting confused. 9:30 is 9:30.

Mobiius 

All our trading computers are set to EST. We also have additional computer clocks that show london and HK. It gets me in the mood/mode and makes it a little easier as when they ring the bell at 9:30 and market opens I'm not double checking my time and getting confused. 9:30 is 9:30.

But you would need a different PC for each exchange that you trade......

Tasker_182 

Hi, If you live outside the Eastern Standard Time (Est) zone, do you set your computer and or software to reference EST? I live in central US, (CST) and have recently begun posting charts and shtuff in my journal but all my times reference CST and I was wondering if that is the wrong way to do things. I thought I read somewhere (not sure where) that one fella set his PC to be EST even though he was PST. I didn't know if this is common or even standard practice, so thought i would ask. I use Ninja, so if anyone has any specific suggestions or recommendation, please let me know. Regards,

I live in UK and trade the NQ exclusively. I set my PC to local (UK) time. Works fine.