Multiple Monitors For Trading
Members ask whether having this many monitors causes “analysis paralysis.”
In my workflow, it’s the opposite — the extra screens reduce confusion and provide clarity.
80% of the time, I am using the same two monitors that most traders have, to support making entry; based on three time-frame analysis:
the big picture (macrostructure), the trading chart, the entry chart (micro).
Everything else is simply “heads-up information” that sits in the background unless until something flashes critical.
Like the monitors at the nurses station in ICU: they only require attention if something serious happens.
Trade Execution & Management
These screens are always visible so I can enter and exit trades quickly:
Active Trader for orders
Level II
Monitor Tab for positions and working orders
A flexible grid of my open short-term trades so I can instantly see if something is starting to turn against me
These are critical when juggling many open trades at once
Market Conditions, Internals & Fundamentals
These displays help me understand what the overall market is doing:
Sector and Index overview
Market internals:
$VOLD
$ADD
$TICK
VIX
Fundamentals / company snapshot (earnings, financials, etc.)
News / Headlines tab for any breaking news that affects a trade
I don’t use these to make entries directly — they just give me the context I need, so I’m not trading blind to what’s happening around the market.
My Three Timeframes (Core Charting)
Two screens are dedicated to the charts with core timeframes; with a third for tick charts.
I always have the big picture, the working timeframe, and the entry chart in front of me with tick charts to reflect true order flow.
The higher timeframe provides heads-up to critical issues that will affect trades
The lower timeframe is critical to the timing of entry
The middle is the trading chart. It must reflect all the favorable conditions, an effective strategy requires.
The tick charts are necessary because extremely volatile and extremely non-volatile equities do not present well on time charts. Tick chart order flow presents a heads-up when not all is as it appears.
Dynamic Watchlists
Because I trade different types of moves (earnings plays, reversions, breakouts, small caps, large caps, etc.), there are many watchlists running at once.
These scans are set to alert on outstanding opportunities; therefore, many watchlist but few entries.
also:
A detached message center window to track all ToS messages
A detached garbage collection window to track ToS performance
Coding & Scan Development
Since I regularly update my scripts and scans for changing market conditions, there is a screen for:
the IDE Code Editor
the Scan Hacker
This way, development never interferes with trading.
In Summary
Most of my displays are not for active chart analysis — they’re for keeping everything organized, visible, and separated. The goal is:
less clicking
fewer hidden tabs
faster decisions
clearer information
lower stress
If I had even more screens, I’m sure I’d put them to productive use — not to analyze more charts, but to keep more tools and information available without clutter.
I would be able to have a dedicated screen to the forum open, to see what all of you are discussing.
The forum is awesome for new ideas.
Another with live news; another for the third party apps for the alerts not provide by ToS;
Just imagine the potential!
Black Friday, here I come!
System ➜Detach
Caution: Core Saturation --if using low-powered CPU machines (such as a Microsoft Surface or 
