FAQ

FAQ

Quick answers to the most common points of confusion. Each answer links to the page where the topic is covered in depth.

Why does the oscillator go to -100 instead of 0 like a normal stochastic?

The indicator uses a bipolar scale: -100 to +100, centered at zero. A standard stochastic runs 0 to 100, with 50 as the implicit midpoint. This indicator shifts the range so that zero becomes the meaningful neutral line — positive values mean bullish lean, negative values mean bearish lean. The math is a linear rescaling, not a different oscillator. See For the Geeks for the conversion table and reasoning.

What does "On Bar Close?" actually do, and should I leave it on?

When enabled (the default), each slot uses the last confirmed slot-timeframe bar's values. The reading is stable and will not change after the fact. When disabled, the slot uses the currently building slot-timeframe bar, which updates faster but can change before that bar closes. Leave it on unless you have a specific reason to want live updates and you understand the repainting tradeoff. Full explanation in MTF & Repainting.

I enabled Slot 04 but the blend did not change. Why?

Slots 04 through 10 have a default weight of zero. A weight-zero slot is enabled, plotted, and fires alerts — but it does not contribute to the blended K/D at all. It is watching, not participating. To include it in the composite, go to the slot's settings and set its Blended Weight above zero. Any positive number will work — the weights auto-normalize, so the specific number only matters relative to the other slots' weights. This behavior is intentional: it lets you observe a timeframe or ticker without having it pull the blend. But it trips up nearly everyone the first time, because "enabled" and "blended" feel like they should mean the same thing. They do not. See the Blended Weight section in Settings.

All my slot lines disappeared and I only see the blend. How do I get them back?

Check whether "Hide Plot" is checked for each slot in its settings. A hidden slot still runs and blends but its K line is not visible. Uncheck "Hide Plot" on the slots you want to see. If you cannot find any slot lines and the blend is also gone, confirm that at least one slot is enabled.

Can I use this on a daily chart with 5-minute slot timeframes?

No. Each slot's timeframe must be equal to or higher than the chart timeframe. A 5-minute slot on a daily chart would require requesting lower-timeframe data from a higher-timeframe context, which the indicator blocks with a runtime error. Either raise the slot timeframes to match or exceed your chart timeframe, or switch to a lower chart timeframe. See Quick Start and Troubleshooting.

What is the difference between K Smoothing and D Length?

They are both smoothing, but they operate at different stages and control different things. K Smoothing smoothes the raw stochastic %K into the K line — it controls how reactive K is to raw price changes. Think of it as the noise filter on the raw reading. D Length smoothes K into D (the signal line) — it controls how the regime detection (K vs. D crossover) behaves. Think of it as the sensitivity dial on the regime flip.

Short D Length means the signal line stays close to K and regime flips happen often — sometimes on every minor oscillation, which makes regime coloring and alerts unreliable. Long D Length means the signal line is slower and regime flips are rarer, which is more stable but can delay recognition of genuine turns. They stack: heavy K Smoothing + heavy D Length = a lot of cumulative lag. The practical test is to change one at a time and watch how the oscillator's personality shifts. See For the Geeks for the full pipeline order.

The indicator says Overbought at +70 but my old stochastic uses 80. Which is right?

Both are right in their own context. The bipolar +70 corresponds to approximately 85 on the traditional 0-100 scale. So the default OB threshold in this indicator is actually more extreme than the 80 you are used to. If you want to match the traditional 80 threshold, set the OB level to +60. See the General Oscillator Settings section for details.

I added KAMA as my K Type but I do not know what the Fast/Slow parameters do. Will the defaults work?

Yes, the defaults (Fast = 2, Slow = 30) are reasonable and will produce a well-behaved adaptive smoothing. You do not need to tune them unless you want to experiment with how aggressively the adaptive MA responds to directional moves versus noise. If you are not sure what KAMA does, consider sticking with SMA or EMA until you have a reason to explore adaptive MA types. See the Power User Settings section.

The blend looks bullish but two of my three slots are bearish. How?

The blend is a weighted average, not a majority vote. If one heavily weighted slot is strongly bullish (say, +80) and the two bearish slots are only mildly bearish (say, -5 each), the math pulls the blend positive. The blend is reporting the weighted center of gravity, and one loud voice can dominate two quiet ones. This is correct math, but it means the blend can look calm and directional while the underlying picture is actually contested. The danger is trusting the blend's "mildly bullish" summary when the reality is "one slot is strongly bullish and two disagree." Always check the individual slot lines alongside the blend, especially when the blend is between -30 and +30 — that is where this masking effect is hardest to spot visually. See Visuals & Logic and Limitations & Trust Boundaries.

Master smoothing makes the chart look cleaner. Should I always enable it?

No — and the fact that it looks cleaner is specifically the thing to be cautious about. Master smoothing applies a third layer of smoothing on top of K Smoothing and D Smoothing. The visual result is a calmer, steadier blend line that moves with less noise. But that calmness is lag. The smoothed blend reacts slower to genuine momentum shifts, which means it can show you the old direction while the individual slots have already flipped to the new one. The cleanliness is real; the timeliness is not.

The worst outcome is when a trader enables master smoothing, sees a beautifully smooth oscillator, and starts trusting it more because it looks more reliable. Smoothness is not reliability. It is delay wearing a clean suit. Keep master smoothing off by default. If you enable it, use a short length (2-3), keep the individual slot lines visible, and treat them as the faster and more current reference. See the Master Smoothing section in Settings and Limitations & Trust Boundaries.