I am trying to write my first explorer based on the Thomas Carr, Overnight Trading article from the July TASC. The screen is as follows: price >5 and <75; average volume > 1mil; Beta > 1.5. I have no problem with the price filter and I assume the average volume would be based on some factor of moving average since I don't seem to find a simple "average" function. However, I am stuck on using the Beta formula and I can't locate documentation for its use in an explorer. I can find its use in a chart but I can't seem to translate it from there. I'm sure this is easier than I think, I'm probably just not looking in the right place. Any help or direction would be appreciated.

How Do I Plot or Explore Using Alpha or Beta? Alpha and Beta require an Index for the calculation. The most common error for this is that the dates do not match in both the Indicator graph and the chart graph. Try recreating your template as follows: -Click File | Open. -Click Options and select Load Options -Click Prompt for dates and click OK. -Highlight the security you want to use for Alpha, maybe IBM, and click OK. -Type in a range of dates to load and click OK. -Click File | Open. -Highlight S & P 500 (For example) and click OK. -Type in the same dates you loaded into IBM and click OK. -Click Window | Stack. -This will stack the charts so you can see both IBM and S & P 500. -Click your IBM chart to make it the active chart. -Click Window | New Inner Window. This will make an empty inner window in your IBM chart. -Hold down the <CTRL> key on the keyboard and use your mouse to pick up the price graph line of the S & P 500. -Drop the price graph of the S & P 500 into the empty inner window of your IBM chart. -Click the S & P 500 chart to activate this chart. -Click File |Close. This will close the S & P 500 chart and leave the IBM chart with the price graph for S & P 500 in the inner window above your IBM graph. -Click Window | Tile. This will make your IBM chart full screen size. -Drag the custom formula Alpha or Beta out of the Indicator QuickList and drop it directly on the S & P 500 graph in the inner window of your IBM chart. You will know when you are directly on top of the S & P 500 line because the S & P 500 line will change color to magenta. Also in the lower left corner of the screen it will say Calc Alpha using S & P 500. When you see the color change and this message release your mouse button to drop this calculation there. -A message may ask how to handle the scaling. You will probably want to say overlay without scale. Alpha or beta will now calculate in the chart. Your IBM chart will now automatically calculate Alpha or Beta when you load it. If you want to use this calculation on other chart you will want to make a template of your IBM chart. -To make the Template click File | Save As. -Change the Save File as Type column to Template. -Type in a name for your template and click OK. For example you could call it ALPHA. You can now load this template on any chart and it will calculate Alpha or Beta of that chart vs. S & P 500. The most common error with Templates is to set them up using a chart that does not contain matching dates. If you use matching dates when you first create the Template you usually will not have any trouble. If you calculate Alpha or Beta with The Explorer make sure your index chart contains the same ending date as The Explorer is using. Also The Explorer can now load a specific number of records into each file. Make sure you have enough data for the load request in The Explorer. You can do this as follows: -Double-click the index you use to calculate Alpha or Beta (maybe S&P 500). -When the chart appears click the S&P price graph in the chart select the price graph. You will notice selection boxes appear on the graph indicating the graph is the selected object on the screen. -Click Tools | The Explorer. -Click New. -Type Alpha or Beta into the Name column. -Click Column A. -Click the Functions button. -Scroll throughout the list of formulas and double-click Alpha or Beta to add it to the column. -Click the Options button. -Check the Load number in the Data Loading Options section. For example if Load is set to 3200 and your charts do not contain 3200 records The Explorer will not be able to comply with the Load request. Make sure the Load contains a number that can be loaded for each chart. For example if you only have 250 data records for each chart set the Load number to 250 or less. -Click OK, to save this setting. -Click the Edit button. -In The Exploration Editor click the Options button. -Check the date in The Exploration Date column. For example if you S & P chart ends on 12/28/01 you should select Specific date and type 12/28/01 into this column. You should only use Current Date when the date on your computer matches the last date in your P variable graph. -Click OK to save this setting. -Click OK to close the Exploration Editor. -Click Explore and the Exploration will now us the selected index graph for the P variable values required to calculate Alpha and Beta. -Make sure you always load your Index chart and click the index price graph to select it, before you run your Alpha or Beta Exploration.