Support Board
Date/Time: Wed, 27 Nov 2024 10:40:06 +0000
Sierra Chart/IBKR Combo has shot my risk management to hell
View Count: 699
| [2023-08-09 11:39:48] |
| Ed Goppelt - Posts: 41 |
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I have noted the following major problems with the SC/IBKR combo in the last week. What can I do to fix these problems? What further information can I provide to SC support? The major problems: 1. SC randomly cancelling bracket orders for overnight positions. Error message in trade log is "canceling orders on flat position". 2. When initiating a position, SC correctly displays position line and bracket. After a few seconds the chart updates showing a flat position and no bracket. IBKR, however, DOES HAVE A LIVE POSITION, just unprotected by any bracket order. 3. It is possible to resend the bracket order using send attached orders, but this is very inconvenient. If this misbehavior keeps up, I will go back to using TWS. TWS may not play nicely with others, but it does work on its own (mainly). 4. Trade positions window shows no positions except for a couple of seconds immediately after refreshing trade positions. Clues/info: 1. I downloaded the latest TWS and SC software yesterday. 2. I have two IBKR accounts, index 0 (main) and index 1 (IRA). Index is set correctly to 0, but changing it to one causes SC to (correctly) display the one position I have in my IRA account 3. Evidence of problems with IBKR? I note that TWS is not displaying P&L today. Also I got a lot of orders rejected recently for having insufficient liquidity in my main account. I was unsuccessful in reconciling these rejections with information about my IBKR account from the Margin Report page and the Account Page. It seemed to me that I had enough money. IBKR frequently not displaying margin info. on description page. 4. Open Position Average Price set to first in, first out. Comment: SC is falsely reporting the status of my positions and cancelling bracket orders in the middle of the night. I know the low regard SC hold IBKR's software so I am trying to keep an open mind about who is ultimately responsible for these major failures in providing me with accurate information about my positions and safeguarding them with appropriate brackets. |
| [2023-08-10 14:38:22] |
| Sierra_Chart Engineering - Posts: 17191 |
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1. This is not random. This is functionality you enabled: Basic Trading and the Trade Window: Main/C >> Menu >> Orders >> Cancel Orders on Flat Position (chart specific) Since Interactive Brokers does not have reliable position reporting definitely do not use this option. Disable it. Also make sure the Time in Force is Good Till Canceled: Basic Trading and the Trade Window: Main >> TimeInForce (Time in Force): 2, 4. Yes, this is certainly an issue with Interactive Brokers and is explained here: Interactive Brokers Trading Service: Trade Position Line or Quantity Disappearing or Displaying Zero 3. Recommend using TWS. Just use Sierra Chart for charting. Or for trading CME group futures definitely use Teton versus Interactive Brokers: Sierra Chart Teton Futures Order Routing Sierra Chart Support - Engineering Level Your definitive source for support. Other responses are from users. Try to keep your questions brief and to the point. Be aware of support policy: https://www.sierrachart.com/index.php?l=PostingInformation.php#GeneralInformation For the most reliable, advanced, and zero cost futures order routing, use the Teton service: Sierra Chart Teton Futures Order Routing Date Time Of Last Edit: 2023-08-10 14:39:55
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| [2023-08-11 09:13:08] |
| Ed Goppelt - Posts: 41 |
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Dear SC Support: Thanks for your responsive answer. I am happy to report that the SC+IBKR has been behaving well after a restart of SC. No more midnight cancellation of bracket orders. SC reports positions correctly on chart and on trade positions window. Weird, huh? 1. You are correct. Call me crazy, but I like SC's cancel on flat option and want to use it with IBKR. From my perspective as a user, it would be nice if it played nicely with TWS. 2a. Has SC reached out to IB's engineering staff and attempted to enlist their help? It would be a lot easier for you to resolve SC's integration problems with IB if you weren't working blind, as it were, having to reverse engineer IB's product. I know the support people I talk to at IBKR have heard of SC. 2b. I would certaintly be willing to pay SC more on a monthly basis for a version of SC with enhanced support of IBKR, warts and all. I bet your other IBKR clients might be willing too. 3a. You're really putting me on the spot. I much prefer SC as a front end for orders to IBKR. I don't want to give up SC's superior capabilities. What I want is for SC to fix its integration problems with IBKR. 3b. Alternatively, I could find another broker. Any suggestions? I know you disdain IBKR's TWS software as poorly designed and providing capped, inaccurate and incomplete data, but IMO, IBKR has many good points, too. IBKR's selection of futures from around the world is excellent. I like their 24/6 support very much. It simplifies my life to have just one broker. They take care of posting margins in foreign currencies transparently: it just happens. They offer stocks and options. Their fees are low; their interest rates competitive. |
| [2023-08-16 08:39:17] |
| Sierra_Chart Engineering - Posts: 17191 |
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Update Sierra Chart to the latest prerelease 2536: Software Download: Fast Update See if that helps with the issue of not seeing the actual positions in Trade >> Trade Positions Window from Interactive Brokers. We did not identify any problem on the Sierra Chart side but we see one scenario where there could potentially be a problem from Interactive Brokers, where the security definition data is not being returned for a symbol and prevents a position for futures from being shown in Sierra Chart. Since it is not possible to determine the symbol correctly. With this new version the position will be displayed with the symbol resolved to the extent possible. However, effectively the same problem can still exist anyway because now the symbol will not be correct. This assumption is wrong: What I want is for SC to fix its integration problems with IBKR.
There are no problems with the integration. The integration has always been fine. But the problems are on the Interactive Brokers side and not resolvable. Sierra Chart Support - Engineering Level Your definitive source for support. Other responses are from users. Try to keep your questions brief and to the point. Be aware of support policy: https://www.sierrachart.com/index.php?l=PostingInformation.php#GeneralInformation For the most reliable, advanced, and zero cost futures order routing, use the Teton service: Sierra Chart Teton Futures Order Routing Date Time Of Last Edit: 2023-08-16 08:42:30
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| [2023-08-16 10:48:55] |
| Ed Goppelt - Posts: 41 |
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We did not identify any problem on the Sierra Chart side but we see one scenario where there could potentially be a problem from Interactive Brokers, where the security definition data is not being returned for a symbol and prevents a position for futures from being shown in Sierra Chart. Since it is not possible to determine the symbol correctly. With this new version the position will be displayed with the symbol resolved to the extent possible.
Yes, this could be it. I do use a lot of IBKR futures for which SC has no symbol data (e.g., NIFTY, UC, XT). I'll give the new version a try and let you know. Could I have avoided this problem by creating the symbol definition file myself? There are no problems with the integration. The integration has always been fine. But the problems are on the Interactive Brokers side and not resolvable.
I see it differently than you. If there are integration problems, a software engineer has two main choices: either 1) ask the offending software maker to correct its product or 2) create a work around. You are smart enough, IMO, to do #2 if you were so inclined. Why is it that you have (apparently) such a lousy relationship with Interactive Brokers? If I were IBKR this web page alone would be enough to put you permanently on my sh*t list: Interactive Brokers Trading Service Per the IBKR web site, Sierra Chart has (nominally) supported IBKR TWS since 2006. After 17 years, you haven't made a single friend at IBKR willing to help you with integration issues? How is this possible? |
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