Originally posted by strato911
The vast majority of computerized radios found in North America (the only home of negative shift radios) support shift selectabilty.
That's simply not true. The vast majority of computerized radios found in North America are either Futaba or JR, neither one of which supports shift selectability. Neither makes a single system that allows you to use a different shift.
Shift selection is only offered on a handful of models from other manufacturers that don't have nearly the marketshare of JR/Futuba. The reason for this is quite understandable--it's one of the few competitive advantages their small size offers them. They can't dictate a standard to their customers as JR/Futuba can, so the offer the alternative of being more flexible. This opens both JR and Futaba's marketshare to them, effectively doubling their base of potential customers.