What radio, and what would make it not work as mode 1? Usually it's just a matter of switching a spring with a ratchet. I've been doing this for years (I fly mode 1). The only radio that I know of currently being sold in the US mode 2 that may be incompadible with mode 1 would be the Hitech Lazer radio. But it is only partially incompadible....in fact I am currently using a Hitech Lazer 6 radio set up as a mode 1 radio...however...the elevon and V-tail mixing functions will not work mode 1, but as a basic 4 channel non mixed radio, it works fine.