Ghostbusters
New York City, 1984. The Sedgewick Hotel is in chaos. Somewhere on the twelfth floor, a Class Five Full Roaming Vapor is gorging itself on room service while three former academics in unlicensed nuclear accelerators try to coordinate a containment strategy. Their communication lifeline: Motorola MT500 handheld radios.
Ivan Reitman's comedy classic may be remembered for proton packs and Stay Puft Marshmallow Men, but the Ghostbusters' operational equipment is grounded in real-world professional gear. The radios they use to coordinate during busts are actual Motorola MT500s — the same handhelds used by police departments, fire services, and security teams throughout the 1980s.
The MT500 appears in multiple scenes, most notably during the hotel sequence and the final confrontation at Dana Barrett's apartment. It's the practical link between the comedy and the logistics — these guys may be fighting ghosts, but they're running a business, and businesses need comms.
The Motorola MT500 was Motorola's workhorse handheld radio of the early 1980s, a successor to the iconic HT220. It operated on VHF and UHF bands, featured a rugged die-cast aluminum housing, and was the standard-issue portable radio for law enforcement agencies across North America.
In the film, the MT500s serve as the Ghostbusters' tactical communication system during field operations. The radios are visible clipped to their jumpsuits or held during coordination scenes — a small detail that grounds the sci-fi premise in practical reality.
The MT500 has a dedicated following among both radio collectors and prop replica builders. eBay seller 'Kamartage' has made a cottage industry of listing MT500 units with cross-references to Ghostbusters and Dawn of the Dead, connecting the collector radio market directly to the film prop community.
We came, we saw, we kicked its ass!
— Dr. Peter Venkman, Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters grossed $295 million worldwide in 1984 and remains one of the most beloved comedies ever made. The film's equipment — from the proton packs to the ghost traps to the communication radios — has spawned a massive prop replica community that has kept demand for original Motorola MT500s consistently strong.
The Motorola MT500 occupies a sweet spot for collectors: iconic enough to be instantly recognizable, affordable enough to actually own. Working units sell for $60–$180 on eBay, making them one of the most accessible screen-used radio models in the hobby.
The broader Motorola handheld lineage — from the HT220 through the MT500 to the Saber series — appears across dozens of films from the 1970s through the 1990s. Ghostbusters is the entry point for most collectors, but the rabbit hole goes deep.
Motorola MT500 Handheld Radio
The workhorse 1980s handheld that equipped police, fire, and Ghostbusters alike. Die-cast aluminum body, VHF/UHF capable.
Motorola T800 Talkabout
Modern Motorola two-way radio with Bluetooth and GPS — the MT500's great-grandchild.
BaoFeng UV-5R
The budget dual-band handheld that dominates amateur radio. Astonishing capability for the price.
Midland GXT1000VP4
36-mile GMRS two-way radio — serious range for outdoor and emergency use.
