[ptcman]

Hi.

Time frames. Which one?

I've always traded using minute charts. 1 minute for signal a trade and 5 and 60 min to follow the short and medium trend.

Now, I read and see many people talking about tick charts, using whatever number they fell is the best, 1 tick, 50 ticks, 144 ticks, 256 ticks...

What I'd like to ask you guys, are your opinions regarding tick charts.

When dealing with time, regardless of 1 minute or 60 minute frame, we are measuring something real, that is, time.
When dealing with ticks, I feel that it's not real. Let me explain.

Each ES tick equals to 0.25 point, so a 8 tick chart equals to a move of 2 points, meaning that a new bar would be created every 2 point move, correct? Isn't this an arbitrary number to choose at which we will trade?

I just remember something while writing this, a tick chart would help us measuring the length of each swing in terms of $.
An 8 tick bar would mean a $100 bar worth.

At the end, all comes to the same, what to think about tick charts? Are they better than minute charts? Are they compatible with each other?

Please leave your thoughts on it.

Regards.

[JBahn]

In the instance of tick charts, lets say 144 tick chart, a new bar is formed after 144 trades have taken place. In the sense of tick charts, the "tick" is referring to trades and not so much "up ticks" or "down ticks". Make sense?

[maxr]

In relation to choosing tick chart periods, it seems to me that using Fib numbers blindly (as many appear to) has no logical basis. I can see the sense of trading e.g. the tick number which most closely corresponds to a 15, 60, or 240 minute candle period for that instrument at that instant (because everybody else is trading on those), but why would Fibs produce useful numbers to create tick charts with?

Max

[maxr]

[accidental duplicate post removed]

[ptcman]

Originally Posted by maxr »

I can see the sense of trading e.g. the tick number which most closely corresponds to a 15, 60, or 240 minute candle period for that instrument at that instant (because everybody else is trading on those) Max

Hi Max.

How to choose a tick number that correspond to a 15 or 60 minute chart?
Is this choice made by a simple eye comparison or there is some math calculation behind it?

Regards

[unco]

Originally Posted by ptcman »

Hi.

Each ES tick equals to 0.25 point, so a 8 tick chart equals to a move of 2 points, meaning that a new bar would be created every 2 point move, correct? Isn't this an arbitrary number to choose at which we will trade?
.

That's rangebar, not tickcharts

[travelinman]

Originally Posted by ptcman »

Hi.

Time frames. Which one?

I've always traded using minute charts. 1 minute for signal a trade and 5 and 60 min to follow the short and medium trend.

Now, I read and see many people talking about tick charts, using whatever number they fell is the best, 1 tick, 50 ticks, 144 ticks, 256 ticks...

What I'd like to ask you guys, are your opinions regarding tick charts.

When dealing with time, regardless of 1 minute or 60 minute frame, we are measuring something real, that is, time.
When dealing with ticks, I feel that it's not real. Let me explain.

Each ES tick equals to 0.25 point, so a 8 tick chart equals to a move of 2 points, meaning that a new bar would be created every 2 point move, correct? Isn't this an arbitrary number to choose at which we will trade?

I just remember something while writing this, a tick chart would help us measuring the length of each swing in terms of $.
An 8 tick bar would mean a $100 bar worth.

At the end, all comes to the same, what to think about tick charts? Are they better than minute charts? Are they compatible with each other?

Please leave your thoughts on it.

Regards.

You sound like you are talking more about a Range bar chart when you talk about an 8 tick chart moving 2 points. Tick charts depending on how many ticks you want to show for each bar can move very little or quite a bit for each bar. Range bars will form for a specified number of ticks you want it to, for example if you use a 4 tick range bar for ES it will move a point (4-ticks) and when it moves 1 tick higher or lower than the 4 tick range it will start to form a new bar.
If you want to use a tick chart and are not sure how many ticks you want to use you may want to compare it to a time frame chart (say 1-minute) to see if it moves fast enough or slow enough for you forming each bar. It will vary throughout the day and if you include overnight sessions you may see some very large bars form. Hope this helps.

[LakotaTodd]

I have tried tick, minute, range and volume. Bottom Line is Price is King! It is all about the date and how that interacts with price. It does not matter what chart you use. I prefer at least a 30 minute chart and take my entries when more than one market lines up. For instance today is the 23rd. Merry Christmas everyone cause here comes the presents: You have 2 digit dates and 4 digit dates.
For the es 1256=23 12+5+6=23 that is a 4 digit date. And it will go in increments of 9 points on the es.
2 digit date is obviously 23 but then goes in increments of 9 also =32, 41. 50, 59. For the YM it is like an odometer. take off the last digit. Same with currencies. So the high this morning is 50 ( 2 digit) and low right now is 1148=23. PRICE IS KING! Whole lot more but all the time I have. Merry Christmas and happy trading.