Zorro 1.20 available!

After the successful beta test, Zorro version 1.20 can now be downloaded from the usual download link. A description of the new features can be found here:

http://manual.zorro-trader.com/new.htm

The 3 bugs reported for Zorro 1.16 have been fixed. This version also contains a new FXCM plugin and a new strategy, Z4, for very low budgets. For updating from Zorro 1.16, please read the section "Updating from previous versions" under the link above.

Congratulations!

Congrats! Zorro is moving forward at lightspeed it seems! between v1.12 when I started and v1.20, the amount of new features and improvements has been astounding!

I like the smell of Zorro releases on Fridays.

It looks identical to the latest beta release. I guess no work needed for beta testers this time. Which is not surprising, because it really has run stable this past week. Good work!

jcl, 2 problems so far with 1.201:

1) On 1st execution, I got an error 062 that ".dta" was missing (no filename). I think it also said "(rb)"... I stopped Zorro and restarted and it is so far running fine. Except:

2) I have a Z12 with USOil trades. Therefore, I have installed 1.201 into a new folder as per the instructions. The problem is that only 1 Zorro can be logged into the FXCM account at a time. So far the connection boxes red/green have swapped twice, but there has never been a time when both Zorros had green boxes. What to do?

Thanks.

(BTW, I agree with acidburn & Friday releases! )

Thanks for testing! 1) could be a wrong assets.dta name set up in the script - you can PM it to me and I'll look into it.

As to 2), if I remember right you had indeed a special FXCM account that did not allow logging in twice, but FXCM can certainly switch that to a normal account when you email them? Otherwise you could continue the old Zorro until the Oil trade is closed, and then switch to the new Zorro.

Thanks jcl.

Re. 1): This was at Zorro startup - no button (Trade, Test, etc.) had yet been clicked so no script was yet involved. Resolution was to close Zorro and restart - again no script yet involved.

Re. 2): I never requested a special account from FXCM UK - why would they have given me one? When I've asked FXCM about this, they say all accounts are single sign-on only unless I sign a separate paper authorizing multiple access - 1 paper for each account, including having to do it again every time in the future any new account is opened. Is this consistent with what you have from FXCM? Or am I getting bad information from them, plus they set up the account wrong in the first place? What's the best way to resolve? Does FXCM have anyone assigned to help Zorro users?

Thanks.

All accounts that I know, with FXCM and with all other brokers, allow multiple logins. We never had an authorizing paper to sign. But this seems to be different with the FXCM office in your country. Anyway, my advice is to sign that paper, as single login is a strong limitation. You could not even manually access your trades when you cannot sign in the FXCM Trading Station.

Hmmm... It's evidently stranger than that, as I can access the account via TS at the same time that Zorro is running... It's only multiple Zorros that have a problem...

Perhaps how Zorro is accessing the API is different on my machine for some reason?

OK, when trading started and Zorro was still weekended I ran some tests:

a) TS is the big dog. Whether it uses a different API or the same API with a higher priority, when it's running it's always connected. Zorro running doesn't prevent it connecting and stopping/starting Zorros doesn't disconnect it.
b) A single Zorro can run (with or without TS running).
c) If a 2nd Zorro is started, the 1st Zorro's connection goes red. The 2nd Zorro stays green while downloading prices, etc., and starting up.
d) After 4 minutes or so, the Zorro whose connection was "stolen" reasserts itself and tries to take the connection back. (Or maybe they both try a refresh at the same time and it just seemed the "other guy" won all the time...)
e) The connection that was green goes red. The reassert has some success - it can go green for a short time and equity can be updated, but it always quickly goes gray, leaving one Zorro red and the other gray.
f) After 4 minutes or so, repeat in reverse, & loop.

Does this make any sense? I never asked for a special account. Has the new API changed multiple logins/Zorros?

I'm rather loathe to get into a paper chase situation where I have to file a new form with FXCM for every account...

This is with FXCM UK, not US.

Thanks for any help/insight you or a (hopefully dedicated to Zorro ) FXCM rep can provide.

This sounds as if you're right - TS apparently uses a different login than the API login by Zorro. So you can run TS in parallel, which means you can manually control Zorro's trades.

For running several Zorros in parallel on your account you then need to sign that form. The behavior that you've described is exactly what would happen with an account that allows only a single login.

Thanks jcl.

Do you (or any FXCM rep) have any insight into why my accounts have been set up for single login when aparently no one else's are?

I would much prefer to be set up like everyone else. Besides the problem of having to do special forms, I worry that this difference will cause other problems in the future...

Thanks.

OK, for any in the future who might be searching for an answer to this, and to prevent anyone having this problem, here's the reason: When you open a Real FXCM account you have 2 choices: a Trading Station account or an MT4 account. Both work with Zorro. Since at the time I didn't intend to use MT4, I opened a TS account. TS accounts have multi-session off by default and require all the paper games to turn it on. MT4 accounts have multi-session on by default so no paper games are needed.

HTH. jcl, can the manual say to get an MT4 account even if you don't intend to run MT4?

Now off to go get new account...

Good find DdlV... BUT, it should be noted that FXCM charges an extra fee for MT4 accounts (I believe it is 0.1 pip per trade). Therefore, it is worth your while to fill out the paperwork for multiple accounts.

If I use Zorro on FXCM, I had planned to use only the web-based TradeStation. I wonder if that would have the same issue as the standalone (ie, take up an API slot)?

Opening a FXCM account is already described in the manual - it's a normal TS account what you need, no MT4 account. All TS accounts I know of, except of yours, supported multiple logins by default.

However I've mentioned your experience in the FAQ in case another user gets a similar problem with a single login account.

I am experiencing a bug that I believe was introduced in version 1.20. This behavior only happens when the S module is invoked by putting my key8e.dta in the Zorro program folder. It was not happening in the previous releases.

After running a Test for any of the Z strategies, Zorro will no longer perform any additional Test runs without a restart. If I try to do a second Test after an initial one, Zorro simply beeps and drops out of the Test run with no results. I have verified this on two separate computers. Now if I remove my key8.dta file and run without the S module active, the Test function works normally.

Here is a dump of my log after first one test and then another:

-----------------------------------------------------------
Z system 5.23
Ini: FX Pre MMax 1000 Wkend 2 Verb 2

BackTest: Z5 EUR/CHF 2011..2013
Profit 20450$ MI 783$ DD 1775$ Capital 3305$
Trades 1271 Win 96% Avg +198.9p Bars 196
AR 333% PF 17.36 SR 2.50 UI 4.4% Error 36%

Z5 run..
Z system 5.23
Ini: FX Pre MMax 1000 Wkend 2 Verb 2

-------------------------------------------------

As you can see the second test run resulted in nothing happening, it just dropped out with no message.

This is a major problem because it takes an initial Test run in order to populate the sliders according to the selected strategy and since only one Test run is now possible, I can not attempt any capital allocation testing beyond the default values.

Please try to replicate this and see if it is happening for you as well.

Hi Gnudarve,

first of all welcome to the Forum!!

Second: I'am not 100% sure but most of the the time when a new Zorro-version is out also the Zs strategies change and we must wait for them to be announced by the support guys.
I checked the Z5 strategy on my Z1.20 S version and there is no such problem...

Did you made a fresh install into a newly created Zorro folder!?

Oh yes, it is a fresh install with the original directory completely deleted to insure no cross contamination. Not only that but it is happening on another computer that has never had Zorro. If this is a problem particular to me then I have to wonder what is it about my setup that is different and why is only when the S module is active.

So I now installed ZorroS 1.20 on one of my VPS and I can confirm the same wrong behavior.
First test run is okay and then when I try to do a second test run it only beeps and show the initial settings.

Now I can't start Z5 cause I need to adjust the sliders before I hit the Trade button...

Deleted this post

Thanks dusktrader, jcl. I've asked my "Senior Account Executive" and gotten the following responses:

"Trading Stations accounts have always been single-session only. There hasn’t been any recent changes regarding this policy.

MT4 accounts are not more expensive. It’s just a different platform."

These seem to be the exact opposite of your experiences? I'd like to get to the bottom of this. Any suggestions?

Thanks.

That quote from FXCM appears on this page. Unsure if it only applies to FXCM-US accounts, but I would definitely ask if you're considering an MT4 account.

Regarding the multi-session authorization... I personally don't see what the big deal is? I know FXCM has different jurisdictions, and perhaps yours requires this legal hoop. Even if you had 10 or more accounts, it doesn't seem to be that big of a problem. You only need the authorization once per new account opened.

Thanks dusktrader. I've asked.

Re. MS, my concern is that something's different, and no one so far knows what. I've been burned too many times in the past by this kind of situation - where a no big thing was let slide or dealt with because it was simple, only to find there was a bigger problem festering underneath...

Thanks.

Has there been any activity on this bug? I have not heard anything from JCL, what is the best way to let him know about this?

I believe a patch was issued as per the post linked below. Funny thing is that I am not experiencing the problem you and Sundance experience.

http://www.opserver.de/ubb7/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=433951#Post433951