Found this on another forum. Anyone ever heard of it before?




New cell phones have the ability for the network to track the location of cell phones for "911" calls. This data is transfered through the digital network of the wireless carrier. This can easily be changed in your phones menu settings.

Things youll need:
a cell phone that you dont use, that supports Digital and Analog (most new phones)
the ESN or HEX number from the back of the phone
a cigarette lighter charger for your phone
wire (12ga works best)
zip ties
electrical tape
a good phone battery
ziplock bag


(Example phone: LG VX6000)
Step 1: On your phone, Go to the menu, select settings, select location, there should be menu that says "E911" and "Location On", select "Location On" or something similar. This displays Latitude, Longitude and Altitude of the location of the phone to andbody that requests it. This can be accesed even if your phone is not activated.

Step 2: Go through your phone and change any settings that would turn off or put your phone into sleep mode.

Step 3: Find a hiding spot where your charger can reach, that it would most likely not be seen.

Step 4: Find a 12 volt power source, this must me a power source that is always on (with the battery in obviously). I think there are 3 wires, you must connect the wires that are always on. The way you can tell is by testing the wires and making sure they charge the phone when the ignition is off. Once you find the "always on" wires, just splice the wires and run them to where you want to mount the phone

Step 5: Plug the charger into the phone and make sure everything works.

Step 6: Run the charger cables to an area where you can mount the phone. Make sure they are hidden from anybody.

Step 7: Make sure the phone is charging, and if it is, zip tie the charger cord to the phone and put a ziplock bag over it. Then mount the phone in an unseen area.

Step 8: Your Done!


If your bike is ever stolen, you have a few options:
1: Call the police and file a legit police report, make sure they know that you have a phone on the bike that has GPS abilities, and its setup for that exact reason to recover your bike if its ever stolen. Give them your ESN/HEX number, and it can be used LEGALLY by you or any police officer investigating the theft.
2: Call the phone carrier, give them the ESN or HEX from the back of the phone, and get Lat & Long from them. This can be inserted into any GPS or even Google Earth, and you will be able to see the location of the unit.
3: If you are a AAA member or even if you have roadside assistance enabled on your carrier, you can always call them to get the location for... umm... "Roadside Assistance"
4: Call Fugitive finder, 917-295-4425, they will find the phone to the nearest centimeter! They charge a few hundred dollars (may defeat the purpose), but it will save your bike

For those with GSM type phones (SIM Chip phones). They have IMEI numbers which are about 11 numbers long. Copy those down. GSM phones are avaliable with T-Mobile, most Cingular, Nextel, GO Phones (Prepaid), Boost Mobile (Prepaid), and Amp'd (I believe). If you have any of these companies, you most likely have an IMEI number instead of a ESN number. ESN numbers (non-SIM Chip phones) are with Sprint, Verizon, Tracfone, Virgin Mobile (Prepaid), and INpulse (Prepaid).

Also I would like to mention that if you DONT have a extra cell phone you can go buy a 20 or 30 dollar prepaid phone and dont buy minutes. It will act the same as a old post paid phone.

This has been done on many cars but dont know if anyone has tried it out on a bike yet so feel free to give it a go.






Basically, you wire up an old cellphone to your battery so it stays on all the time. Write down the serial number to the phone, and if the bike gets stolen, the cops can use the ser

 

Sounds like a good idea if you have an extra phone sitting around. Only problem is that if the phone doesn't have signal then they can't find it. Other then that, like I said, it sounds like a good idea. Kinda like a cheap lojack or onstar. Might have to give it a try with some cop buddies I know.

MDFF

 

+1, but you can always get a signal with lojack either. The only problem may be running down the battery if you connect the charger to the battery and the phone, cause then that would be a consant draw on the power. Good idea though

 

I was thinking about the battery issue as well and it would only draw if the battery in the phone fell low enough. Most cell phones have a standby time of like a week (or at least mine does, don't use it much). I would change the steps to only have the power supplied when the ignition is on. If you ride or drive regularly it wouldn't really be a big problem to let the phone use its own batt when your not.

MDFF

 

Pretty friggin' interesting...

Anyone try it yet?

 

good idea i am getting a new phone soon so i might try it and let yall know the outcome...

 

I just tried this as a test. I put my LG phone into "Location On", mode then I called my carrier ,Verizon and said I lost my phone at a job site, is there a way that you can use a GPS system to tell me the lat/lon.

He looked into it, and more or less came back saying no, the only way to do that is for 911 calls. So, while this is a cool idea, I don't think it works.

 

Wouldn't the police be able to use the tools at the 911 call center?

Guess you would have to ask the local police if they would be able to use it if you told them you had a phone on the bike.

 

I have mad respect for the police, I have friends that are cops andthey have a dangerous and often thankless job, however in my experience with car and home break ins, they don't investigate ****. They don't take prints, they don't ask around, they file a report and leave.

In fact, I've known and heard of many cases where someone had their bike or car stolen, jumped in their car and followed the thief while on with a 911 operator and basically got nowhere. for some reason I just don't see them bothering to try to track a stolen bike... just my 2cents