Inputs Reference

Gold Scalpel ships pre-tuned: the strategy's internal parameters are fixed and optimised at the factory, so the only settings you see are the ones that let you tailor risk and behaviour to your own account. This keeps configuration simple and safe — there's nothing to over-optimise.

Inputs are organised into the same four groups you see in the MT5 properties panel.

Quick reference

• The defaults are sensible for most accounts — you can run the EA as-is.
• The setting that matters most for your account is RiskPercent.

General

MagicNumber

Type	ulong
Default	0

The magic number identifies which trades belong to this EA instance, so it only manages its own positions.

• 0 (default) — The EA derives a stable magic number automatically from the symbol.
• Any non-zero value — Used as the magic number verbatim.

Set distinct non-zero values when you want to run multiple instances on the same symbol (for example, two gold charts with different risk settings) without them managing each other's trades.

Risk Management

Controls how big each trade is.

RiskPercent

Type	double
Default	2.0

Risk per trade as a percentage of account equity. The EA sizes each position so that a full stop-out would cost approximately this percentage of the account. Position size is then automatically capped by MaxLotCap and snapped to your broker's minimum lot and lot step.

The default is a balanced setting

2.0% is a conservative, compounding-oriented default suitable for most live accounts. Remember that with more than one open position you can have a larger share of your account at risk at once — raise it only with capital you can afford to draw down hard.

Recommended values

• Balanced / compounding (default): 2.0%
• Conservative live trading: 1.0%
• Aggressive / compounding: 3.0 – 5.0%
• Prop firm challenges: 0.25 – 1.0% (extra conservative)

MaxLotCap

Type	double
Default	100.0

Hard ceiling on lot size, regardless of what the risk calculation suggests. Acts as a safety cap — for example, if your account grows large enough that the risk percentage would call for 150 lots, this keeps it at 100. Lower it if you want a tighter bound on the largest position the EA can take.

Consider lowering it on live accounts

The 100.0 default is a high ceiling that mainly matters once an account has grown large. Combined with a higher RiskPercent, it allows a big maximum position — set it to a value you're genuinely comfortable holding on gold.

Losing-Streak Cooldown

An optional guardrail that pauses new entries after a run of consecutive losses. Off by default — enable it if you want the EA to step back and cool off during a rough patch.

UseDDGuards

Type	bool
Default	false

Master switch for the losing-streak cooldown.

• false (default) — No cooldown; the EA keeps looking for setups continuously.
• true — After MaxConsecLosses losing trades in a row, the EA stops opening new trades for ConsecLossCooldownHours, then resumes automatically. Positions already open continue to be managed normally.

Reducing risk on a losing run

Turning this on is a simple way to take a forced break during adverse conditions instead of trading straight through them. Any winning trade resets the streak counter.

MaxConsecLosses

Type	int
Default	4

How many losses in a row trigger the cooldown. Only used when UseDDGuards = true. Lower it for a more cautious pause; raise it to tolerate longer streaks before stepping back.

ConsecLossCooldownHours

Type	double
Default	12.0

How long to pause new entries once the cooldown triggers, in hours. Only used when UseDDGuards = true. After this time elapses, the EA resumes looking for setups.

Display

Dashboard and logging.

ShowDashboard

Type	bool
Default	true

Renders the on-chart status panel (see How It Works → The On-Chart Dashboard). It shows account status, strategy state, and live counters, and refreshes on a one-second timer so it stays current even when the market is closed. Disable to keep the chart clean.

Automatically off in backtests

During a non-visual Strategy Tester run, the dashboard is disabled automatically — there's no chart to draw on, and skipping it keeps backtests fast. It still renders in visual-mode backtests and on live charts.

EnableLogging

Type	bool
Default	true

Writes a trade journal to the Experts tab in MT5 — order placements, fills, expiries, closes with net profit/loss, and any risk notices. Safe to leave on in live trading; useful for reviewing what the EA has done and for support requests.

Automatically off in headless backtests

Like the dashboard, logging is suppressed during non-visual tester runs so it doesn't slow backtests down.

Quick Reference Profiles

Default — as shipped

Run the defaults (2% risk, cooldown off). A balanced, compounding-oriented setting for most live accounts.

Balanced live trading

RiskPercent             = 1.5
MaxLotCap               = 50.0
UseDDGuards             = true
MaxConsecLosses         = 4
ConsecLossCooldownHours = 12.0

Conservative — small account or prop challenge

RiskPercent             = 0.5
MaxLotCap               = 50.0
UseDDGuards             = true
MaxConsecLosses         = 3
ConsecLossCooldownHours = 24.0

Prop firm rules

Gold Scalpel does not enforce a prop firm's specific daily-loss or overall-drawdown limits. On a funded challenge, keep RiskPercent very low, enable the losing-streak cooldown, and rely on the firm's own risk rules as the hard boundary.

Next Steps

• 📘 How It Works — Understand the approach
• 📊 Performance — What testing shows and how to read it
• 🚀 Getting Started — Installation guide
• 🗒️ Changelog — Version history
• 💬 Get Support — Setup help and questions