Before you start
You need four things. Check them before installing, because most support questions come from one of them being missing.
- A trading account opened through Quietbar at Ferncastle Markets (fictional broker), and its account number.
- Your licence key, issued for that account number. See the licence page for how to request one.
- The MetaTrader 4 or MetaTrader 5 terminal your broker provides, logged in to that account. Ledge runs on MT5 only.
- A demo account on the same server for your first weeks. Your licence covers demo accounts as well.
Start on demo. Watch at least a few weeks of journal lines before running any EA on money you cannot afford to lose.
Install on MT4 Lull · Hinge
Open the data folder
In the terminal, open the File menu and choose Open Data Folder. A file window opens on the terminal's own folder.
Copy the EA file
Copy the .ex4 file into the Experts folder. Keep the Quietbar sub-folder so the EAs stay together.
MQL4/Experts/Quietbar/Lull.ex4 MQL4/Experts/Quietbar/Hinge.ex4
Copy the calendar file
The news and holiday filters read a calendar file. Put it in the Files folder.
MQL4/Files/Quietbar/calendar.csvRefresh the Navigator
Back in the terminal, right-click Expert Advisors in the Navigator and choose Refresh, or restart the terminal. The Quietbar folder appears.
Attach to the right chart
Open a chart of the symbol and timeframe from the product page (Lull: M15, Hinge: M30). Drag the EA onto it.
Allow it to trade
In the EA's properties, on the Common tab, tick the option that allows live trading. Paste your licence key in the Inputs tab, then press OK. Finally, switch on the AutoTrading button in the toolbar.
Check the journal
Open the Experts tab in the Terminal window. You should see a start-up line with the version and licence state.
Quietbar Lull vx.x.x started · licence valid · account xxxxxxxx
Install on MT5 Lull · Hinge · Ledge
Open the data folder
File menu, then Open Data Folder.
Copy the EA and calendar files
MQL5/Experts/Quietbar/Lull.ex5 MQL5/Experts/Quietbar/Hinge.ex5 MQL5/Experts/Quietbar/Ledge.ex5 MQL5/Files/Quietbar/calendar.csv
Refresh the Navigator
Right-click Expert Advisors in the Navigator and choose Refresh.
Check the position mode
Ledge needs a hedging account. Lull and Hinge work on hedging or netting. Your broker sets this per account; it is shown in the account's details.
Attach and allow algo trading
Drag the EA onto a chart of the right symbol and timeframe (Ledge: H4). In its properties, allow algo trading on the Common tab, paste your licence key on the Inputs tab, and press OK. Switch on the Algo Trading button in the toolbar.
One chart per symbol
Ledge trades three symbols. Attach it to one chart per symbol, each with its own MagicNumber.
Activate the licence
The licence key is bound to your account number. The EA checks it when it starts, on the terminal itself; it does not need a web connection and it sends nothing anywhere.
- Paste the key into the LicenceKey input exactly as issued, with no spaces.
- The EA compares the key with the account number the terminal is logged in to.
- If they match, it starts. If not, it writes a journal line and does nothing.
Changing to another account? The key will not work there. Request a licence move from the licence page; the new account must also be opened through Quietbar. Licence page
Recommended settings
Leave every input at its default for the first months. The defaults are what the forward test runs on, so they are the only settings with a live record. The one input you should set yourself is RiskPerTrade.
| EA | Chart | RiskPerTrade | Other inputs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lull | EURUSD, EURGBP · M15 | x.x% or less | Defaults |
| Hinge | GBPUSD, EURUSD · M30 | x.x% or less | Defaults |
| Ledge | USDJPY, AUDUSD, XAUUSD · H4 | x.x% or less | Defaults |
Running several EAs on one account adds their risk together. Three EAs at x.x% each can lose three times that on a bad day. Lower RiskPerTrade on each so the total is a loss you can accept.
Inputs every EA shares
| Input | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
LicenceKey | empty | Your key, bound to this account number. |
SymbolSuffix | empty | For brokers that add a suffix to symbol names, such as .r or m. |
CalendarFile | calendar.csv | The calendar the news and holiday filters read. Replace it with each release. |
ShowPanel | true | Draws the status panel on the chart: state, last stand-down reason, loss used. |
JournalDetail | normal | Set to verbose when support asks; it logs every check, not only stand-downs. |
Running on a VPS
An EA only acts while its terminal is open and connected. A laptop that sleeps, updates or loses Wi-Fi will miss entries and, worse, exits. For anything beyond demo testing, run the terminal on a virtual private server.
What to look for
- A data centre close to your broker's trade server. Ping from the VPS to the server should be in the low milliseconds (x ms or less).
- Enough memory for one terminal per account, with a margin: x GB for one terminal, more for several.
- Automatic restart, and a terminal set to start when the server does.
Set-up checklist
Install the terminal on the VPS and log in to your account.
Copy the EA and calendar files, attach and configure exactly as above.
Close the terminal on your own computer, or log it in to a different account. Two terminals running the same EA on one account will both trade.
Make the terminal start with the server, and check the journal after every restart.
Check it once a day. A VPS reduces the risk of disconnection; it does not remove it.
Updating
Read the release in the changelog first, especially its frequency line. Then:
Wait until the EA has no open position, or until the market is closed.
Remove the EA from the chart. Note your inputs, or save them as a set file.
Replace the .ex4 or .ex5 file and the calendar file. Refresh the Navigator.
Attach the new version and load your inputs. Check the start-up line shows the new version.
Every EA reads its own open positions on start, by MagicNumber, so an update with a position open will not duplicate it. We still recommend updating while flat.
Troubleshooting
Start with the Experts tab of the journal. Every Quietbar EA writes a line when it starts, when it stands down and when an order is refused.
The EA is on the chart but nothing happens, and the journal is empty.
Cause. Algorithmic trading is switched off, either in the terminal's toolbar or in the EA's own properties.
- Turn on the terminal's AutoTrading (MT4) or Algo Trading (MT5) button in the toolbar.
- Open the EA's properties on the chart and tick the option that allows it to trade.
- Check the chart's corner icon: it shows whether the EA is active.
The journal says the licence is not valid for this account.
Quietbar: licence not valid for account xxxxxxxx
Cause. The licence key is bound to a different account number, or the key was pasted with a space.
- Compare the account number in the terminal's Navigator with the one on your licence.
- Paste the key again without leading or trailing spaces.
- If you have moved to a new account, request a licence move (see the licence page).
The EA runs but has not traded for days.
Quietbar Lull: spread xx > cap xx, sitting out
Cause. Usually nothing is wrong. Each stand-down writes a line saying which rule applied.
- Read the Experts tab of the journal for the stand-down lines.
- Compare the rule with the product page. If spread is the reason every night, your account type is likely the cause.
- Do not raise the caps to make it trade. The caps are where the testing showed the edge disappears.
Orders are refused with an invalid stops error.
Quietbar Hinge: order refused, invalid stops (130)
Cause. The broker's minimum stop distance is larger than the stop the EA asked for, usually at the open when spreads widen.
- Check the symbol's stop level in the symbol specification.
- Leave MaxSpreadPoints at its default; it already avoids most of these moments.
- If it happens on every attempt, tell support which symbol suffix your account uses.
Two EAs, or two copies of one EA, are managing the same trades.
Cause. Two charts carry the same MagicNumber, or the same EA is running on two terminals connected to one account.
- Give every chart its own MagicNumber.
- Run each account on one terminal only. A local terminal and a VPS terminal on the same account will both trade.
The symbol is not found, or the EA attaches but never sees a price.
Cause. Your broker names the symbol with a suffix, such as EURUSD.r or EURUSDm.
- Attach the EA to the chart of the symbol exactly as your broker names it.
- Set the SymbolSuffix input to the suffix your broker uses.
Still stuck? Message support with your EA version, terminal build, symbol name as your broker shows it, and the journal lines. Message support
Stopping safely
Switching off the AutoTrading or Algo Trading button stops new orders. It does not close open positions, and the stop-loss already sent with each order stays at the broker.
- To stop and keep positions: switch off algo trading. Positions remain with their stops.
- To stop and close: switch off algo trading, then close the positions yourself.
- To remove completely: remove the EA from each chart, then delete its files from the Experts folder.