[Nathan Slingerland]

What color were the station call letter tabs on radios like the 37-116?

What material were they made out of? Paper? Plastic? Mine is missing them entirely.

All of the current photos I've seen show beige colored tabs:

   

Contemporary ads seems to show white tabs:

   

Were they originally white and have yellowed? Or were the ad makers taking liberties with the appearance as they so often seem to do?

[Fred Taylor]

That photo is black and white so you cant get a true color. My 38-116 that I restored has the same and it looks like the same plastic stuff that the dial is made off, I think they call it fonolic or something. I don't think you can get reproductions, you may have to make your own. I didn't bother to get mine to look new, just left them

[Ron Ramirez]

The material may have been a slightly lighter amber than it is now, but it was certainly never white.

It's phenolic. As Fred mentioned, no one reproduces those tabs.

[sam]

I have used old broken dial plates and back plates. orange looking
cut and inserted them looks fine
but not all mine were missing just a few
sam

[mikethedruid]

If you have a color printer, you can choose a color a few shades lighter than what the tabs are now, and use that as a backgrounds color, and black letters of the proper font and size, and print them on an ink jet printer. After that, before you cut them out from the page, spray it well on both sides with clear, gloss polyurethane varnish. Let it dry well, and cut the tabs out. I have used this method for several radios.

[Phlogiston]

Yes, and the star is for an unassigned selection. The ones that were programed had call letters on them. Of course they could be set after the named setting were made.

[Nathan Slingerland]

Thank you all for the info!

[Nathan Slingerland]

What are the exact dimensions of these? I'd like to make them as close as possible to the originals so if anyone could provide the length x width that would be a big help!

[Fred Taylor]

 Since you don't have one to compare or make a template from , I would pull dial off and make one that fits good and use that as template for the others.

[Nathan Slingerland]

Right - well I found this very detailed picture of the tabs:

   

If I just had one of the dimensions I could compute the rest.

[AI2V]

Just about everyone has a Philco dial that's been washed clean and that's what I use.  For lettering I use clear matte laserjet labels and MS Word.  If you look into the fonts you will even find the star.

[Fred Taylor]

Good job

[Art Hoch]

This may be too late to help you.