i hate to contradict lotus, but i don't think timing is important. Of course there are better places to enter & exit trades, but if you know you want 50 pips and the next resistance is 70 pips away, i just get myself in there.
Of course you could wait for a reversal and get it right at the start of the wave and ride it all the way to next resistance/fib level, but i hardly ever have the patience due to studying full time.
I use technicals too, but won't say what i use. All i will say is that fundamental's *WILL* mess your system up 100%. NO MATTER WHAT. so go to dailyfx and make sure your not trading around some big marco-economic indicators.
Once i waited for a pair to slow and reverse for 3 days, got ready for a huge profit, only for some news to come out and wipe my position out in about 3 minutes. Good job i had a stop loss or i'd of been out over 130 pips!
Stop losses are important when you start, but as you get more used to the market and can tell what it'll do, you get an idea of where the pair will slow down or if it goes against you, how far etc. So if you can watch them constantly you can get away without a stop loss. I for one, would always recommend you use one though.
But it is a kick in the teeth when you see a position get stopped out, then 3 ticks later reverse and go your way without you in the trade! Happened a few times to me.
Jamie