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Hi Pennies --

I am not familiar with FCharts or QuoteTracker, so cannot make a detailed comparison. But the trial version of AmiBroker has all of the charting features enabled, and the installation procedure installs a small end-of-day database, so you can make your own comparison.

AmiBroker uses AmiQuote to retrieve data from Yahoo or msn and store it in AmiBroker. It works seamlessly, so there is no disadvantage in using AmiQuote. After you have set it up once, just use the Tools menu, then click Auto update quotes, and AmiBroker will handle the interface with AmiQuote and Yahoo automatically. AmiQuote runs, but you will not need to run AmiQuote yourself.

But ----- think about whether you want to be in the database maintenance business or the trading business. Yahoo quotes are cost-free, but not trouble-free. You will find missing data, inconsistent data, unadjusted splits, and so forth. I strongly recommend two things related to data:
1. Consistency is important. After you have tried out several data sources and found the one that provides the data series you want, build your historical database using that source and always get your daily updates from them. Do not mix data from different sources.
2. Try out the subscription data sources, then pick one and hire them to be in the database maintenance business for you. If you will be following the Australian markets, Norgate Premium Data is one you should check for sure. Norgate also has data for United States, Singapore, etc. Norgate is end-of-day. Also check Quotes Plus if you need only the US markets. Quotes Plus has both end-of-day and intraday.

If you will be following your positions intra-day, but not using intra-day bars (say, 5-minute bars) to feed your trading systems, you can use one of the many web sites that give real-time snapshot quotations.

If you will be using intra-day bars for your trading systems, subscribe to a good vendor of intra-day data. You cannot run intra-day systems using free data.

There are several other factors that make using intra-day data more complicated than using end-of-day data. If you are new to trading system design, testing, validation, and trading, practice using end-of-day data and end-of-day systems before moving to intra-day.

(No disrespect intended. You may be more experienced than I am, but I do not recognize your user name.)

Thanks for listening,
Howard

<blockquote data-quote="howardbandy" data-source="post: 376124" data-attributes="member: 9179">Hi Pennies --I am not familiar with FCharts or QuoteTracker, so cannot make a detailed comparison.&nbsp; But the trial version of AmiBroker has all of the charting features enabled, and the installation procedure installs a small end-of-day database, so you can make your own comparison.AmiBroker uses AmiQuote to retrieve data from Yahoo or msn and store it in AmiBroker.&nbsp; It works seamlessly, so there is no disadvantage in using AmiQuote.&nbsp; After you have set it up once, just use the Tools menu, then click Auto update quotes, and AmiBroker will handle the interface with AmiQuote and Yahoo automatically.&nbsp; AmiQuote runs, but you will not need to run AmiQuote yourself.But ----- think about whether you want to be in the database maintenance business or the trading business.&nbsp; Yahoo quotes are cost-free, but not trouble-free.&nbsp; You will find missing data, inconsistent data, unadjusted splits, and so forth.&nbsp; I strongly recommend two things related to data:1.&nbsp; Consistency is important.&nbsp; After you have tried out several data sources and found the one that provides the data series you want, build your historical database using that source and always get your daily updates from them.&nbsp; Do not mix data from different sources.2.&nbsp; Try out the subscription data sources, then pick one and hire them to be in the database maintenance business for you.&nbsp; If you will be following the Australian markets, Norgate Premium Data is one you should check for sure.&nbsp; Norgate also has data for United States, Singapore, etc.&nbsp; Norgate is end-of-day.&nbsp; Also check Quotes Plus if you need only the US markets.&nbsp; Quotes Plus has both end-of-day and intraday.If you will be following your positions intra-day, but not using intra-day bars (say, 5-minute bars) to feed your trading systems, you can use one of the many web sites that give real-time snapshot quotations.If you will be using intra-day bars for your trading systems, subscribe to a good vendor of intra-day data.&nbsp; You cannot run intra-day systems using free data.&nbsp; There are several other factors that make using intra-day data more complicated than using end-of-day data.&nbsp; If you are new to trading system design, testing, validation, and trading, practice using end-of-day data and end-of-day systems before moving to intra-day.&nbsp; (No disrespect intended.&nbsp; You may be more experienced than I am, but I do not recognize your user name.)Thanks for listening,Howard</blockquote>

[QUOTE="howardbandy, post: 376124, member: 9179"] Hi Pennies -- I am not familiar with FCharts or QuoteTracker, so cannot make a detailed comparison. But the trial version of AmiBroker has all of the charting features enabled, and the installation procedure installs a small end-of-day database, so you can make your own comparison. AmiBroker uses AmiQuote to retrieve data from Yahoo or msn and store it in AmiBroker. It works seamlessly, so there is no disadvantage in using AmiQuote. After you have set it up once, just use the Tools menu, then click Auto update quotes, and AmiBroker will handle the interface with AmiQuote and Yahoo automatically. AmiQuote runs, but you will not need to run AmiQuote yourself. But ----- think about whether you want to be in the database maintenance business or the trading business. Yahoo quotes are cost-free, but not trouble-free. You will find missing data, inconsistent data, unadjusted splits, and so forth. I strongly recommend two things related to data: 1. Consistency is important. After you have tried out several data sources and found the one that provides the data series you want, build your historical database using that source and always get your daily updates from them. Do not mix data from different sources. 2. Try out the subscription data sources, then pick one and hire them to be in the database maintenance business for you. If you will be following the Australian markets, Norgate Premium Data is one you should check for sure. Norgate also has data for United States, Singapore, etc. Norgate is end-of-day. Also check Quotes Plus if you need only the US markets. Quotes Plus has both end-of-day and intraday. If you will be following your positions intra-day, but not using intra-day bars (say, 5-minute bars) to feed your trading systems, you can use one of the many web sites that give real-time snapshot quotations. If you will be using intra-day bars for your trading systems, subscribe to a good vendor of intra-day data. You cannot run intra-day systems using free data. There are several other factors that make using intra-day data more complicated than using end-of-day data. If you are new to trading system design, testing, validation, and trading, practice using end-of-day data and end-of-day systems before moving to intra-day. (No disrespect intended. You may be more experienced than I am, but I do not recognize your user name.) Thanks for listening, Howard [/QUOTE]

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