Installing gps tracking in car...need 12v line
 

Now that I have the back panels off in the trunk I thought it would be a good time to install my GPS tracker ( a phone with tracking service! :) ) so I need a 12v line...could be a permanent 12v line or just an ignition activated one, but I'm not too good at understanding those wiring diagrams...Can anyone tell me exactly what I can do to get 12v in the back to power my phone?

Thanks for any advice!

If anyone is curious to know what the hell im talking about...
Verizon has this service called chaperone which basically keeps track of your kid's cell phones, letting you pinpoint their location at any time on their website. Works across the US and its 10$ a month... so I bought my 7 her own cell phone and hid it inside...Only thing missing is a permanent charger so I don't have to worry about taking it out every week when the battery dies.

^ Awesome plan. The only plan I could think of is this:

Get a phone charger and permanently splice it into your cigarette lighter power. Run the line somewhere where it is accessible, but hidden, as you'll probably need to get at the damn thing eventually... I can think of a couple good spots, but would rather not post them publicly. :D Plug the cell phone in and you're done.

Now, here's the thing. I doubt the car battery will last long with the engine off if it is constantly powering the cell phone. What you'll need to do is figure out how long the phone can stay on under its own power (probably a few days) and have some way of metering it. If the phone shuts off, you'll have no tracking capabilities, if I understand the system correctly, and you'll have to manually power it up again.

Maybe you can devise a car-powered rapid-charge system that juices the phone up in like 15 minutes. Then, you just need to drive your car before the phone powers down.

^ got a car charger for 30$..more than the phone :scratch: and I was thinking about those options you pointed out. The battery lasts reallly long. The 1st charge actually lasted 2 and a half weeks, with over 20 GPS checks to it. I might be able to get away with stealing some charge from the cable that goes to the rear wave speaker.

Cool. Let us know how it turns out. Talk about investing in some piece of mind!