When you’re deep into trading rabbit holes, YouTube can feel like a treasure chest of “secret” strategies. One evening, I stumbled upon a video promising a simple moving average crossover system that “works on any market.” Bold claim, right? Instead of dismissing it, I decided to test the idea by building my own Expert Advisor (EA).
Step 1: Breaking Down the Video
The YouTuber explained the rules in plain English:
- Entry signal: Buy when the fast MA crosses above the slow MA, sell when it crosses below.
- Stop loss: Fixed pip distance.
- Take profit: Equal to stop loss, aiming for 1:1 risk-reward.
- Filters: Trade only during London and New York sessions.
I paused, replayed, and scribbled notes until the logic was clear enough to translate into flowchart blocks.
Step 2: Translating Rules into EA Logic
Using DrawMyEA’s builder, I mapped:
- Indicators: Two moving averages with adjustable periods.
- Conditions: Crossovers triggering buy/sell.
- Risk management: Stop loss and take profit parameters.
- Session filter: Restrict trades to specific hours.
This step was surprisingly fun—like turning a cooking recipe into code.
Step 3: Backtesting Reality Check
The backtest results were… mixed. On EURUSD, the strategy worked decently during trending periods but fell apart in choppy ranges. That’s when I realized the YouTuber’s “works on any market” claim was more marketing than math.
Step 4: Adding My Own Twist
I introduced:
- Volatility filter: ATR-based condition to avoid flat markets.
- Dynamic stop loss: Adjusted based on volatility instead of fixed pips.
- Trade management: Partial close at halfway to target.
Suddenly, the EA felt less like a copy-paste and more like my own creation.
Lessons Learned
- YouTube strategies are great starting points, but rarely plug-and-play.
- Backtesting is where hype meets reality.
- Customization turns a generic idea into something tailored to your style.
- Flowchart building makes translating strategies less intimidating for non-coders.