STARC Bands

STARC Bands rebuilds Stoller's range channel with the contrarian reading intact — the definitive clean version of STARC Bands for the Library. A deliberately short simple average forms the centerline and the bands sit a chosen ATR multiple above and below, so the channel expands when the tape runs hot and contracts when it goes quiet, gaps included.

How to Trade the STARC Bands?

• Band tag: price pushing into a band has already traveled beyond its recent typical range — the level warns against fresh entries in that direction rather than inviting a chase.
• Single-tag rejection: a tag closing back inside argues for rotation toward the centerline — the countertrend setup the channel was built to frame.
• Band-hugging closes: a run of closes pressed against one band marks a trend willing to stay extended; put fades on hold while that persists.
• Centerline cross: the stretch has fully reset at the neutral reference, and centerline-trailing exits are triggered.

The band offset is published to the data window as multiplier × ATR, doubling as a stop-distance and sizing reference alongside the other volatility studies.

STARC Bands Settings

• Source (default close): the series the centerline averages; the offset always comes from true range.
• Average Length (default 5): the short centerline that keeps a band touch meaning stretch against the immediate swing rather than the broader trend.
• ATR Length (default 15): lookback of the range estimate behind the offset.
• ATR Multiplier (default 2): how far out the bands sit — far enough that a touch is genuine stretch, close enough that touches happen.
• Outer Extreme Bands (default off) with Multiplier (default 3): a second, lighter ring marking exceptional range.
• Channel Gradient Fill (default on) and Band Tag Markers (default off): presentation; the alerts fire either way.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do STARC Bands differ from Keltner Channels?

Both offset a centerline by ATR, but Keltner Channels typically run a 20-period EMA basis read with trend logic, while the STARC form keeps the centerline very short and treats band contact as elevated entry risk.

Why true range instead of standard deviation?

True range counts gaps, so the channel widens on overnight jumps a close-to-close deviation measure would largely miss — a real difference on instruments that gap routinely.

Can the bands time entries on their own?

They locate stretch, not turns. A tag says a fresh entry in that direction is late relative to recent range; pairing rejections with structure or momentum evidence turns the location into a trade.