Insider TA™ Frequently Asked Questions

For any questions or comments on Insider TA™, email us at support@stockblocks.com.

Note to Vista users: Insider TA Pro/Std will work with Vista but you will need to make two manual adjustments to Windows after installation (one to the registry, and another in a Control Panel applet.) Click here for instructions.

Additional FAQ's can be also be found for the following subjects...

• FAQ's for the File Scan Utility
• FAQ's for the Volume Analyzer Function.
• FAQ's for the Data Merger Utility.

Stock Blocks™ Inc. was incorporated in May 1995. Since that time, our flagship product Insider TA™ has been reviewed by a variety of software publications. You can access some of them by going here. All of the reviews mentioned reference previous Insider TA versions, but the concept is identical to our latest Version 5.4.

Insider TA emphasizes volume in its analysis methods. For this reason, its primary charting technique is based on Richard Arms' Equivolume Charting, which we refer to as "Box Charting".

Performance could vary depending on one's portfolio of stocks and/or futures, actual com&fees/slippage, and other factors from the market place. For this reason we do not provide the "performance" per se, leaving the user to create and analyze one's portfolio within the framework of available funds. Insider TA will provide excellent means to help one achieve this goal.

Yes, Insider TA can analyze futures for commodities/indices, as long as the data provider does appropriate back-adjusting to make the data consistent over a reasonable time (such as 100 days or more) and the data is in ASCII format (for Insider TA Professional, data could also be in Metastock format).

CSI is our chosen source for commodities data. Using CSI, you can do the back adjusting and export any desired list to ASCII format for subsequent analysis by Insider TA, which can place buy and sell tags according to Richard Arm's equivolume analysis techniques.

For information on Insider TA and CSI, see our support page.

Insider TA's requirements are:

• Pentium/compatible 300+ MHz (slower processors can still run ITA, but 300 MHz is the minimum recommended).
• Windows 98se/Me/NT/2000/XP
• CD or DVD drive
• 256 MB RAM, 20 MB disk space (add 65 MB for AVI tutorials)
• 256+ color display
• Internet connection for (1) automatic updates and (2) periodic license validations, a.k.a. "check-ins" (approx 4 times/year)

That option is shown disabled because the AVI tutorial files are not included with the demo due to their large size. To download the same tutorials that we include with the Standard or Professional software, click here for the 60MB setup file. After they are installed per the directions, the demo software will make that menu option accessable.

We do not accept Paypal as a form of payment. We accept Visa, Mastercard and American Express for online and telephone orders. You also have the option to mail us a check or money order to the following address:

Stock Blocks, Inc.
Attn: Orders
PO Box 416
North Stonington, CT 06359

Insider TA is not a data downloader. Instead, it is for analyzing data that has already been saved to your computer via a 3rd party service.

Insider TA Professional is compatible with CSI, TeleChart 2005/2007 and TC2000 Version 3, 4.x/5.x, Metastock (with 2000 symbols/folder limit), Quotes Plus (QP2/QP3 only), and ASCII files. Any of these formats contain the high, low, and volume for each trading day (these are the minimum data requirements for Insider TA's box charting technique).

For U.S. stocks, we recommend TeleChart 2007 which provides data for NYSE, AMEX, and NASDAQ exchanges -- their data download mechanism is very fast!
If you are interested in more than domestic stocks, we highly recommend CSI. They are the data provider of stocks, world futures, options, indices, and more.

For those who do not want a monthly fee-based data service, try MLDownloader by Trading-Tools.com. MLDownloader downloads intraday, end of day and historical stock quotes, Options and Foreign Exchange data from yahoo.com, quote.com, and other public Internet sites. The program gives you the option of saving your data in MetaStock® or ASCII files.

There are other notable downloaders -- contact us if you need assistance. In short, there are a number of fine products at a nominal cost that gather data automatically from free online resources.

Insider TA comes with a printed 240 page Users Manual (customers in Japan are provided an electronic equivalent in Japanese), along with the conventional pop-up help facility that's integrated with the software (if you downloaded our demo, then you are already aware of this). An electronic equivalent of the Users Manual (in Acrobat PDF format) is also supplied. We also include a set of animated tutorials (these are not included with the demo download, due to their large size).

Our web site also contains a variety of information on how to use Insider TA. Occasionally we may also send out how-to's via a subscribed E-newsletter.

And of course, free unlimited email support directly with us here at Stock Blocks.

Yes, but only during certain events:

1. Build Updates: The Insider TA software has an Internet Update Facility feature that facilitates easy updating to the latest software build for the current version.
   
2. Periodic check-in: Due to piracy concerns, there is a license verification system designed to protect the intellectual property of Stock Blocks, as well as our registered users in the event their copy is inadvertantly copied or misplaced.

Other than the above times, general operation of Insider TA does not require an Internet connection.

Upon purchase of Insider TA, we will send you the software by physical mail shipment only. There is no electronic download option for the first-time installation. However, subsequent build updates are always performed electronically using the "Internet Update" feature discussed in the previous paragraph.

Insider TA Standard Version handles ASCII data files. ITA Pro Version includes direct compatibility with CSI, TeleChart 2005/2007, TC2000 Version 3, 4.x/5.x, Metastock (2000 symbols/folder), and Quotes Plus (QP2/QP3 only).

No. The ability to use Insider TA for real-time data (such as ESignal) is something that has been discussed for a while, and hopefully will be included in a future major update. We do not have a projected date of release for a version containing this feature.

Yes, by exporting your TC2000 data to ASCII format. TeleChart 2005/2007 works the same way. For instructions, refer to this page.

Insider TA recognizes your TeleChart 2005/2007 (and TC2000 Version 4.x/5.x) WatchLists automatically.  You will see them listed in the File Entry Panel.  Just click the WatchList you would like to view, then select from one of the symbols in that list.

Insider TA's box charting principles are derived from Richard Arm's "Equivolume" charting techniques.  For more information on this topic, we recommend you read his book, titled Trading Without Fear.  Point & Figure charting is covered quite well in a book by Thomas J. Dorsey, titled Point and Figure Charting: The Essential Application for Forecasting and Tracking Market Prices.

Click here.

By default, a 2% simulated broker fee is worked into each individual buy and sell tag. You can configure this to any value between 0 and 10 percent, inclusive.

An excellent question... here's why.

Here's how.