The Motorola SABER II in Jurassic Park

When the fences go down and the phones go dead, the only communication left on Isla Nublar is a Motorola SABER II. The same radio the military trusted with its life.

The Scene

Isla Nublar. The storm hits, Dennis Nedry disables the security systems, and the electric fences powering the dinosaur paddocks go offline. In the chaos that follows, the park's landline phones and computer networks are useless. The only way anyone communicates is through handheld radios — specifically, Motorola SABER II UHF handhelds carried by Robert Muldoon, Ray Arnold, and the InGen security team.

The SABER II appears throughout the film's second and third acts. Muldoon uses his to coordinate the failed attempt to restore power. Arnold radios from the maintenance shed. The radios pass between characters as the situation deteriorates — each handoff marking another shift in who's in charge and who's in danger. When Samuel L. Jackson's Arnold says "Hold onto your butts" before rebooting the system, he's about to walk into the maintenance shed with nothing but a SABER II and a prayer.

Spielberg's attention to prop authenticity meant the radios on screen are real Motorola SABER IIs — the same units used by law enforcement and military units in the early 1990s. They're not dressed-up toys. They're the genuine article, mud-spattered and rain-soaked.

The Gear

The Motorola SABER II was Motorola's professional-grade handheld radio platform in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Available in VHF, UHF, and 800 MHz configurations, the SABER series was the standard-issue radio for law enforcement, fire departments, and military units worldwide.

The SABER II featured MIL-STD-810 environmental ratings for shock, vibration, and moisture resistance — genuinely military-grade construction. Its top-mounted volume/channel knob, large push-to-talk button, and Motorola's proprietary signaling protocols made it immediately recognizable. At approximately 350 grams with battery, it was substantial enough to feel authoritative in-hand without being cumbersome.

Motorola discontinued the SABER line in the late 1990s as digital platforms replaced analog systems. But the SABER II's reputation for indestructibility — earned across decades of real-world deployment and reinforced by its Hollywood appearances — has made it a collector's item among vintage radio enthusiasts and movie prop builders alike.

Hold onto your butts.

— Ray Arnold, Jurassic Park

Why It Matters

Jurassic Park is one of the highest-grossing films in history, with over $1 billion in worldwide box office across its original release and re-releases. The Motorola SABER II appears in dozens of scenes during the film's most intense sequences. For a generation of viewers, the SABER II is what a serious walkie-talkie looks like — the mental image that forms when someone says "grab the radio."

On the collector market, Motorola SABER II handhelds sell for $80–$300 on eBay, depending on frequency band, condition, and accessory completeness. Working units with charger and original antenna command the highest prices. Motorola officially discontinued support, so these are collector items rather than active-use radios for most buyers.

The Replica Prop Forum (RPF) has dedicated threads to Jurassic Park radio identification, with builders sourcing SABER IIs to complete InGen security costumes and display setups. The combination of the radio's real-world military pedigree and its Jurassic Park screen time makes it one of the most desirable vintage Motorola models in the prop community.

The Gear Cards

Modern Alternatives

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