What are the current map versions?

[Spokey]

I'm about to buy Atlantic Coast maps 4-7 to replace the older ones I have.

As I am going to buy individual maps, I thought I'd look to ensure that all have been updated but I can't find the current version in the store.  It only has the non-version portion.  For example, Atlantic Coast section 4 shows BC-1401 but not 05L, 06L, 08L etc. 

The addenda for 08L runs two pages so if there is an 09 version, clearly I would buy a new one.  But the changes prior to 08 are less significant so if 08 is the one currently being sold, I might just merge the addenda in to one sheet.

Seems to me that there should be a list of the most recent printed map versions on the site somewhere.  If someone from AC responds, at this point I am specifically interested in sections 4-7 as noted above.

thanks

[John Nelson]

I too wish ACA would keep the current versions of all their maps posted on the web site somewhere. Right now, you can infer a probable version by looking at the latest addenda, but that can be wrong if there exists a version so new that it doesn't have an addendum yet.

It might even sell a few more maps if somebody knows they can buy a newer version than the one in they already have. Right now, nobody's going to order a map if it might be exactly the same as the one they have.

[Spokey]

That is my issue although it's a little backwards.  I'm going over one of the maps and the most recent addenda is 2 pages long.  But previous ones (back to my version) are not much.  If there is a new version beyond the most recent addenda there is no question that I'll buy the new one.  If not, I'll think about it.

There is the possibility that you buy new one because yours is older and find out you've just bought the same version again.

[aggie]

I'm sure if you send an email to ACA they will tell you what version they are currently selling.

[John Nelson]

Yes, I'm sure they would too, but it'd still be easier on everybody if they posted it.

[rvklassen]

To take it one further, it would be nice to have a revision schedule.  If I'm going to take a particular route in six months, and I know there's no planned revision within the next six months, I might as well buy it now, and then update the addenda just before leaving.  But if there's a revision in progress, and it should be out in four months, I should hang tight.  And if I'm putting together something extended that combines several routes, I could do some and some.

They suggest waiting until close to your trip, but if a map has been recently revised and isn't about to be revised before the trip, there's no benefit to waiting, and you can start planning in more detail with the map(s) in hand.

[theironpig]

Hello Spokey,
Here are the most up-to-date versions of AC 4-7 we are currently selling:
AC#4: BC-1401-08
AC#5: BC-1402-09
AC#6: BC-1403-09
AC#7: BC-1405-09
Also, AC #4 will not be reprinted this season.

We recognize this is a problem for some of our more experienced customers and are currently working towards a viable solution to said issue. A revision schedule is what we use internally and posting it on the store and/or web page is definitely an option, we just want to make sure it's the most effective solution. This is obviously not as much of an issue with folks purchasing our maps for the first time, so having these member-member interactions here in the forums is a perfect avenue for us to learn what we can do to make your experiences as painless as possible. After all, there shouldn't be a headwind during the planning stages of your trip.

Whatever we come up with will be implemented in the next month or so and I'll be sure to drop a post on this thread just as soon as it happens.

Cheers

[Spokey]

Thanks.

I would suggest doing both.   Something like

Map		Current Version		Next Anticipated Reprint
AC#4: BC-1401		2008		2011
AC#5: BC-1402		2009		2012
AC#6: BC-1402		2009		2012
AC#7: BC-1402		2009		2012

I think that a little table like that either in an area with all routes or a table in the main description of the route would work.

[rvklassen]

And those of us with experience with projects that have plans and schedules will understand that the further out the scheduled revision, the more error to expect with the estimate.

As far as the table is concerned, if the planned revision is more than 18? 24? months away, it might as well be forever, both because we can't expect that any predictions that far off will be accurate, and because few, if any of us make plans that far in advance that the revision schedule on the maps matters.

In other words, sufficiently remote revision plans could be just TBD or "no immediate plans".

[John Nelson]

I received my TA maps this week, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that four of the 12 maps were newer than what the catalog said were the current versions. So although the current version information has been added to the catalog (apparently as we requested), it's not kept up to date.

[BentJay]

I'm planning on riding the TransAm starting in late July.  Will there be a new version of that route before ~July 1, 2010?

Jay

[John Nelson]

Maps are updated one section at a time, not whole routes. There are 12 maps in the TA set. 9 of the 12 were updated in late 2009, and these 9 almost certainly won't be updated again this year. The remaining 3 (the western-most ones) were updated in 2008. I suppose there's at least some possibility of an update to those.