i have a radar detector in my car which uses my cigerette lighter port. I want to directly connect my radar detector to the battery so i can free up the ciggerete lighter port for my car charger. Now, can i goto radioshack, buy a power jack for the radar detector (i dont want to use the wire with teh ciggerete lighter end just in case i ever need it) aand then send one wire to the ground, and one to the positive battery terminal?

I would say just get a cigerette lighter spliter

well, some radar detectors have hardwiring kits, atleast the high-end ones do. if you cigarette lighter adapter only has a 12v and ground connection, unlike the ones with an alarm light and a mute button on the adapter, then you should be okay. what you'd do is run the 12v part to the accessory wire to your radio, (normally red, it only has the juice on it when the key is in the ignition in acc position or higher) and the ground to...well, ground ofcourse.

what detector do you have? make/model

its a cobra radar dectector. to lazy to go outside and look at the model.

How difficult is it to remove the panels around your cigerette lighter?

My recomendation would be to pull that assembly out and splice the adapter into those wires.

Connecting directly to the battery is probably not the safest Idea. But if you do decide to go this route. You would have to get some sort of "O" ring crimps to connect the possitive to the battery, some heat resistent wire or sleeving if your running near the engine. In addition to that you will have to figure out the wattage your detector draws and install the correct fuse on the possitive line. As for the negative just run it to the nearest peice of grounded metal, and that should be fine.

get some 12 or 14 guage battery line from a car audio shop. Run it from the + on your battery. You will also need a 12v fuse that you can also pick up at the audio place. cut the battery line and place the fuse about 1-2 feet from the radar detector. Placement can vary just dont put it in the engine bay. The ground wire (any 20 guage wire will do) does not need to be fused. Lastly you should also get a remote line. (any 20 guage wire will do) You can attach the remote line to your fuse box. Find something that is only on when your car is on, like the radio fuse. Just wrap the wire around the fuse and place back in the fuse panel. Run the other end to the detector. This will make sure that your detector is not always on and draining your battery. You will find the same type of setup on the cigarette lighter. I dont know how your planning on hooking all this up to the detector but those are the key elements you need to make sure to have.

Battery line with 12v fuse attached
ground line
remote line

Good Luck!

Never mind the radar detector. The cops will lie and say you were speeding, even if they didn't have their radars on (I too use a radar detector.) and YOU WERE NOT SPEEDING....

The cops don't like me. 93' Celica Alltrac. Rims/Spoiler/Exhaust/Intake, this beast pushes ~250HP. (It is AWD and turbocharged @ 220HP(3SGTE!), stock.)

R.I.P 95' Escort. Was completely 'riced' and completely 'stolen' by a tall black male(not being racist, dangit, it is simply a description of whom I saw stealing my vehicle.), had the chance to see him driving off in my car as I was walking out of Walmart.

Long story short, life sucks. Drive fast, or get out of my way.

Seriously though, if you need to make your own connection for your car alarm, check it's input voltage/amperage, and make a simple circut to regulate the voltage/amperage, if necessary. Radioshack should have any transistors/resistors you will need, and it will 'learn ya something new, if you don't already understand simple electronics.

Adding: If you want help with the circuit design, post the input values, and I will do my best to help.

*Edited by Psycho_Active*