3 MA Cross With Alert MTF Indicator for MT4 and MT5

Written by Dominic Walsh · Published 21 May 2026 · Last updated 21 Sep 2026

The usual three-average setup uses three lengths. This one does not. The 3 ma cross with alert mtf indicator runs simple, exponential and linear weighted averages at the same twenty-one bars, so what separates the lines is the weighting method, and a signal needs price to clear every one of them.

This build ships as a compiled .ex4 for MT4 and .ex5 for MT5; the screenshots below come from EURUSD H1.

Platforms	MT4 (.ex4) + MT5 (.ex5)
Chart window	Main price chart
Plots	5: SMA, EMA, LWMA, Buy, Sell
Alerts	popup, push notification, email, sound
Inputs	8

Which plots exist

Five plots, all on the price chart.

`SMA` traces deep sky blue at width 2.

`EMA` traces gold beside it.

`LWMA` traces magenta at the same width.

`Buy` prints lime at width 4 using arrow 233.

`Sell` prints red at width 4 using arrow 234.

• SMA: line, deep sky blue, width 2
• EMA: line, gold, width 2
• LWMA: line, magenta, width 2
• Buy: arrow, lime, width 4, arrow code 233
• Sell: arrow, red, width 4, arrow code 234

Inside the calculation

One length, three weightings

`MaPeriod` `21` feeds all three calls. A simple average treats every bar alike, an exponential one favours the recent, and a weighted one ramps linearly between the two extremes.

Highest and lowest of the three

Each bar the code picks the top line and the bottom line of the trio. Those two values become the levels price has to clear, and either one can belong to any of the three.

Clearing the band

A close moving from at or below the highest to above it prints the buy mark. The mirrored move below the lowest prints the sell.

How to read it

The three lines sit close by construction.

Their spread widens when price moves hard.

A mark means price cleared all three at once.

Price inside the band prints nothing.

`ArrowOffsetPoints` `35` keeps marks off the candles.

Despite the name, one timeframe is read.

Alert channels in this build: popup, push notification, email and sound, one message per closed bar.

Clearing the band is what speaks, and `EnableAlerts` holds the master toggle over it. `EnablePopup` already shows an MT4 dialog. Mobile push, terminal email and the Sounds folder file named by `SoundFile` all wait until you switch them on.

Every 3 Ma Cross With Alert Mtf Indicator input

Core settings

Setting	What it does	Default
MaPeriod	Length shared by all three averages, `21`.	21

Display settings

Setting	What it does	Default
ArrowOffsetPoints	Gap between a mark and its candle, `35`.	35

Alert settings

Setting	What it does	Default
EnableAlerts	master toggle. Master toggle over the cross message, `true`.	on
EnablePopup	MT4 popup dialog. Shows it as an MT4 dialog, `true`.	on
EnablePushNotify	mobile MT4 push notification. Pushes it to mobile MT4, `false`.	off
EnableEmail	SMTP email (configure in MT4 Tools > Options > Email). Emails it through the terminal settings, `false`.	off
EnableSound	play sound file from MT4/Sounds/. Plays a file from the Sounds folder, `false`.	off
SoundFile	Which file that is, `”alert.wav”`.	alert.wav

Markets that suit it

Twenty-one bars on the hourly chart covers roughly a trading day, which is the pace the reference shot uses. EURUSD H1 gives a handful of band clearances a week. M15 produces many more. H4 turns each one into a multi-week event.

Where it lets you down

Three averages at one length track each other closely.

A narrow band is easy for a single candle to clear.

The name promises multiple timeframes; one is read.

Every average lags the price it smooths.

Copy the compiled 3 Ma Cross With Alert Mtf Indicator file into your MQL4/Indicators folder, and the MT5 build into MQL5/Indicators, then restart the terminal and drag it onto a chart. The step-by-step guide with screenshots is at how to install MT4 and MT5 indicators.

Background reading on the method behind the 3 Ma Cross With Alert Mtf Indicator: Moving average on Wikipedia, Linearly Weighted Moving Average at Investopedia.

Download the 3 Ma Cross With Alert Mtf Indicator for MT4 and MT5

The zip holds the compiled 3 Ma Cross With Alert Mtf Indicator build for MT4 and MT5, plus a short README. Compiled files only, no source. Enter your email below and the download link arrives in your inbox.

FAQ

Why do SMA, EMA and LWMA share MaPeriod 21?

Because the comparison here weighs methods against each other, not lengths. All three look back twenty-one bars; what differs is how much each of those bars counts, which is what pulls the lines apart in a fast move.

Must the close clear all three lines for a Buy?

Yes. The close must move from at or below the highest of `SMA`, `EMA` and `LWMA` to above it. Clearing only one or two prints nothing, which is what keeps the signal relatively rare.

Does the MTF in the name mean multiple timeframes?

No. Every call reads the chart you loaded the tool onto. To compare timeframes you would open a second chart and run a separate copy there.

Is ArrowOffsetPoints 35 a fixed gap or a scaled one?

Fixed. Thirty-five points is the distance between a mark and its candle whatever the market is doing, so it wants checking whenever you move the tool to a symbol with a different point size.

Are results guaranteed?

No. Trading involves risk. Results are not guaranteed; past performance is not indicative of future results. Use the 3 Ma Cross With Alert Mtf Indicator as one input. Always backtest before trading live.