Battery Terminal Protective Boots: Coverage, Retention, Cable Exit and Dielectric RFQ Evidence

A red or black rubbery cover over a battery terminal may look adequate in a catalog photograph while leaving the lug edge, nut, adapter, unused stud or cable-barrel transition exposed in the installed assembly. It may also lift when the cable moves, split at an undersized exit, trap moisture, interfere with a terminal clamp, or carry a material dielectric value that was never verified on the molded boot.

Direct answer: a battery terminal protective-boot RFQ should define the conductive features that must be covered, the metal objects and service approaches against which protection is required, the boot's attachment and removal method, the finished cable exit and bend corridor, the exact material and minimum wall condition, and the assembly-level checks that prove the boot stays in its intended position. A color, generic material name, cable gauge or unbounded “insulated” claim is not enough.

This guide is limited to the protective boot or terminal cover. Use the battery terminal fit and connection-stack guide to freeze the battery interface, the battery terminal clamp torque guide to qualify a tapered clamp, and the battery busbar terminal-stack guide when the protected connection is a studded distribution assembly. The boot must fit the approved electrical connection; it must not be used to hide or mechanically correct an unapproved one.

No statement in this article establishes a SINAWATTS boot material, dielectric rating, flammability class, ingress rating, chemical resistance, operating temperature, test capability, certification, stock position, price, MOQ, lead time or customer result. Every performance decision belongs to the exact offered part, drawing, material record, assembly and application evidence.

Start with the protection objective and governing application

Write one sentence describing what the boot must prevent. Examples include accidental bridging by a defined maintenance tool, contact between an ungrounded terminal and a nearby grounded bracket, direct finger access during a stated service task, damage during transport, or contamination of a named interface. These are different objectives and can require different coverage, strength, retention and test evidence.

For a U.S. small-craft application, 33 CFR 183.445(b) states that a continuously energized ungrounded terminal or stud must meet the cited overcurrent-protection provision or have a boot, nipple, cap, cover or shield that prevents accidental short-circuiting at the terminal or stud. The official 2025 CFR text provides that application-specific requirement; it does not prescribe one universal boot geometry for vehicles, industrial equipment or every boat. Official GovInfo text for 33 CFR Part 183, including § 183.445.

Transport has a separate boundary. The eCFR text for 49 CFR 173.159, checked on October 4, 2026, requires wet batteries to be prepared and packaged to prevent short circuits and terminal damage. It lists electrically non-conductive caps or other appropriate means, and securely attached covers of sufficient strength, among possible controls. That rule applies to the transport situations within its scope; a shipping cap is not automatically an installed-service boot, and an installed boot is not automatically a compliant shipping package. Current eCFR § 173.159.

Identify the target market, equipment type, nominal and maximum system voltage, grounded or ungrounded conductor, battery chemistry and terminal architecture. Name the design authority who will decide the required protection. If no regulation or product standard applies, the buyer still needs an engineering requirement rather than a supplier-created marketing phrase.

Freeze the conductive assembly before selecting a boot

The protective boundary cannot be drawn until the connection stack is fixed. Record the battery manufacturer and model, terminal variant and polarity; clamp, adapter or lug; stud, nut and washer arrangement; auxiliary leads; cable construction and finished outside diameter; heat-shrink or strain-relief sleeve; cable exit direction; and nearby conductive structure.

Use an exploded view and an installed section. A bare component drawing can omit the highest part of a nut, the corner of an angled lug, a second accessory terminal or the swelling at an adhesive-lined sleeve. Show the maximum permitted stack height and envelope, including tolerances. If several approved stacks exist, treat each as a configuration row rather than assuming that a boot fitted to the thinnest stack covers all of them.

The battery cable lug geometry guide separates the eye, palm, barrel and transition. Bring those features into the boot drawing. The cover may need to shield the stud and palm while leaving the cable insulation free to bend. It should not press on the lug, become trapped under a current-carrying contact surface or prevent inspection of a required mark.

Mark service states as well as the operating state. A hinged, tethered or peel-back boot can cover the terminal during use yet leave it exposed after a technician moves it aside. State whether the protection objective applies only in the fully assembled operating condition, during routine access, during transport, or in all three. A service procedure and a protective component may work together, but the RFQ should say which control applies in each state.

Convert “full coverage” into an inspectable coverage map

Draw the required coverage boundary over the complete assembly. Identify every conductive feature inside it and every intentional opening. Use multiple views because a top view can hide a stud or palm edge visible from below. Include the mating battery post where exposure remains possible, not only the metal attached to the cable.

Define the approach objects that matter. A sphere or probe specified by an applicable standard, the end of a named service tool, a loose fastener, a seat frame or a battery hold-down bracket all answer different questions. Do not invent a probe dimension from this article. Have the responsible engineer select it from the governing equipment rule or risk assessment, then show the approach directions and nearby metal in the drawing.

Useful coverage dimensions include:

• inside dome length, width and height at their allowed minimums;
• overlap beyond each exposed conductive edge;
• maximum opening around the cable or attachment feature;
• distance from an opening to the nearest conductive surface;
• clearance to the top of the stud, nut or clamp fastener;
• installed gap between the boot skirt and battery or support surface; and
• the boot's external envelope through assembly, operation and service.

Mastervolt's Type D isolation-cover page describes its named covers as completely protecting battery terminals and provides a downloadable dimension drawing for the exact red and black product codes. That is an original-manufacturer claim tied to those covers, not proof that any similarly shaped boot gives complete coverage. The procurement lesson is to obtain the matching drawing and terminal combination behind the word “complete.” Mastervolt Type D 457N3V02 cover.

Photographs support the coverage record but should not be the only evidence. Use consistent views with an identified sample and a scale, and preserve the drawing revision. A favorable camera angle cannot close a dimensional gap.

Separate accidental-short protection from ingress, corrosion and touch claims

A boot can reduce access to a conductive terminal without sealing against water or dust. It can shed a splash without meeting an IP classification. It can cover a corroding joint without stopping the electrolyte or condensation path. Write each desired function on a separate RFQ line.

IEC 60529 classifies degrees of protection provided by enclosures. Its current consolidated edition is IEC 60529:1989+A1:1999+A2:2013. An IP code therefore needs evidence for the applicable enclosure and installed configuration under the specified test; the presence of a flexible boot or a tight-looking cable exit does not create an IP67 or IP68 claim. IEC 60529 official publication page.

If corrosion control is required, define water, salt, electrolyte residue, cleaning fluid, oil and other relevant contaminants. Ask whether the boot excludes, drains or can trap them, and how the joint is inspected. The battery lug plating and galvanic-corrosion guide covers the metal and moisture interface. A cover does not replace compatible metals, an approved joint preparation or a controlled corrosion test.

If finger or tool access is the objective, name the applicable access test. If flame behavior is required, request the exact material classification and its covered thickness and color. If the system needs an electrical withstand test, define its voltage type, electrodes, conditioning and assembly boundary. Combining all of these as “safety boot” prevents meaningful comparison.

Select the boot architecture around the cable route

Common architectures include straight-entry covers, left- or right-angle boots, dual-entry covers, rotating tops, open-bottom caps, clip-over shrouds and stud boots with a narrow cable neck. These labels are only starting points. The RFQ should show the coordinate system, cable centerline, entry angle and permitted rotation.

Original-manufacturer pages from Blue Sea Systems demonstrate why the architecture must be exact. Its PN 4016 Straight Terminal CableCap is described for standard automotive posts and lists specific cable-size choices and PVC material. Its PN 9030B rotating CableCap says the top rotates 360 degrees to allow cable entry from any angle and applies to batteries with integral marine wing-nut posts. Those statements belong to the named products. They show that a straight and rotating entry solve different packaging problems; they do not establish fit, material performance or a cable range for an unidentified offer. Blue Sea PN 4016; Blue Sea PN 9030B.

Provide the finished cable outside diameter and tolerance, not only AWG or square millimeters. Conductor size does not define insulation thickness, ovality, braid, labels, heat-shrink, overmold or corrugation. Measure at the actual boot exit and include the largest local feature that must pass through during assembly.

Show the cable route after the boot is seated. Record the tangent direction, bend corridor, support point and movement from engine vibration, a hinged lid or battery service. The boot should not become the primary cable support unless its exact design and evidence say so. A boot pulled sideways by a stiff cable may peel off even when its static fit looks secure.

For two cables or an auxiliary lead, do not cut a second opening during assembly unless the controlled design permits it. Obtain the final opening geometry, edge finish and coverage drawing. A knife cut can propagate, expose metal, create an abrasion edge and invalidate material or component evidence.

Define retention as a controlled mechanical function

List how the boot stays in place: molded interference on the cable, lip under a terminal feature, snap tabs, clip, cable tie, tether, fastener, hinge or enclosure capture. Identify which feature carries removal and vibration loads. “Push fit” is not a measurable retention method.

Blue Sea's PN 4018 Dual Post CableCap page provides a useful procurement example. It tells the installer to secure the cover with a cable tie and states that the cable tie is not included. It also identifies a specific cable size and maximum-environment statement for that named product. A quotation that includes the cover but omits its required retention item can therefore be incomplete even when the catalog photograph looks correct. Blue Sea PN 4018.

The RFQ should name the retention item, material, size range, installation location and tightening or locking method. If a cable tie is used, define whether it is one-time service hardware, how its tail is finished, how the boot is removed and what replacement is required. Do not select a tie material or installation tension from generic practice; match it to the environment and boot instruction.

Specify a retention check around the real failure direction. An axial pull on a straight cable neck may not represent a sideways cable bend that peels the skirt. Consider upward removal, lateral cable load, vibration orientation, service motion and the boot's interaction with a battery lid. The engineering owner should define force, displacement, rate, duration, temperature and pass criteria. The result must identify the boot, terminal stack, cable and conditioning.

A high pull-off force is not automatically better. The boot still needs an approved de-energized service method that does not pull on the post, lug or cable. Define a removal tab or tool approach where needed, and prevent technicians from prying against the battery case with a conductive tool.

Control the cable-exit interference and strain boundary

The cable exit may use intentional interference to grip the insulation, a loose clearance plus a tie, molded ribs, a split, a grommet or another defined feature. Ask the supplier to state the design principle. Without it, the buyer cannot tell whether a small opening is a retention feature or an assembly defect.

Request these dimensions and conditions:

On small screens, swipe or scroll sideways to read every column. Keyboard users can focus the table and use the arrow keys.

If a heat-shrink sleeve sits inside or behind the boot, specify its final overlap and outside diameter. Do not allow the boot neck to push the sleeve onto a contact surface or conceal a required crimp inspection. The heat-shrink recovered-diameter guide provides the separate sleeve-selection method.

Check assembly sequence. A one-piece boot may need to be threaded onto the cable before crimping the terminal. A replaceable service boot may split or clip around an existing cable. The quote should state whether the boot is supplied loose, fitted before termination, installed after crimping or captured by another component. That sequence affects labor, serviceability and whether a replacement requires cutting off an otherwise acceptable lug.

Ask for dielectric evidence without turning a material number into a component rating

“Dielectric” can refer to a material property, a specimen breakdown result, a proof test or the functional insulation of a complete part. Require the bidder to say which meaning supports each number. Ask for material maker, full grade, color or formulation, molding process where relevant, specimen thickness, conditioning, test method, electrode arrangement, surrounding medium, voltage waveform or frequency, rate of rise, failure criterion and report identity.

ASTM's current page lists ASTM D149-25 as the active test method for dielectric breakdown voltage and dielectric strength of solid electrical insulating materials at commercial power frequencies. Its significance section says results can seldom be used directly to determine dielectric behavior in an actual application and lists test variables that a specifying document must control. This is an unusually clear evidence boundary: a resin datasheet value is useful material information, not automatic proof of an installed boot's withstand or protection. ASTM D149-25 official page.

IEC 60243-1:2013 provides methods for short-time electric-strength tests of solid insulating materials at 48 Hz to 62 Hz, including methods concerning breakdown through a specimen and along surfaces. Its scope likewise concerns test methods under stated conditions. Ask which method and specimen the report uses; do not cite the standard number alone as a boot rating. IEC 60243-1 official page.

For the molded part, request minimum wall dimensions at the crown, corners, cable neck, split, hinge and any ejector or knit-line region relevant to the design. A nominal resin plaque thickness may not represent a stretched corner or thin molded feature. If the project requires a component proof test, engineering must define electrodes, covered conductive insert, exterior contact or foil, test voltage, duration, conditioning and acceptance. The supplier should report the actual molded revision and sample identity.

Keep the system voltage and transient environment visible. A high material breakdown number does not replace creepage, clearance, opening or damage review. The boot can be electrically puncture-resistant yet leave a direct metal path through an oversized cable opening.

Treat flammability, temperature and color as separate evidence fields

A polymer family name such as PVC, silicone, EPDM or “rubber” does not define the exact formulation. Request the material grade, color, hardness where relevant, temperature range and the environmental properties needed by the project. Do not assign any of those attributes from appearance.

UL Solutions describes UL 94 classifications as small-scale material flame tests conducted under controlled laboratory conditions. The official page distinguishes horizontal, vertical and thin-material classifications and explains that specimen orientation and thickness are part of the assessment. A V-0 material claim does not mean the complete boot is fireproof, does not establish dielectric strength and does not prove coverage in the installed assembly. UL Solutions combustion tests for plastics.

Use the UL 94 thickness, color and component-evidence guide to check a bidder's material record. Ask whether the proposed red and black formulations are both covered where color matters. A red boot identifies positive polarity only when the controlled drawing, packaging and assembly record say so; color is not a substitute for the polarity map.

Temperature evidence also needs a boundary. Blue Sea lists PVC for several named CableCap products and separately gives an up-to-105°C environment statement for PN 4018. Do not combine those fields into a universal 105°C rating for every PVC boot. Request exact-product evidence and define whether the limit concerns ambient, continuous service, short exposure, installation or a test condition.

At low temperature, check flexibility and retention after conditioning if the application needs it. At high temperature, check deformation, cable-neck relaxation and contact with nearby surfaces. Fluid exposure can change hardness, swell the opening or weaken a snap feature. The project engineer should select relevant conditions and acceptance rules rather than requesting every possible chemical test.

Use a bounded illustrative geometry comparison

The following values are fictional and demonstrate a purchasing screen only. They are not standard dimensions, product specifications, SINAWATTS capabilities or acceptance limits.

Assume a project drawing defines a maximum conductive assembly envelope of 41.0 mm long, 27.0 mm wide and 24.0 mm high. The responsible engineer requires at least 2.0 mm nominal free assembly space on each opposing side for this example before any flexibility or retention analysis. The arithmetic screening envelope is therefore:

• length: 41.0 + 2 × 2.0 = 45.0 mm;
• width: 27.0 + 2 × 2.0 = 31.0 mm; and
• height above the reference: 24.0 + 2.0 = 26.0 mm.

Offer A returns an internal cavity tolerance of 45.5 ± 1.0 mm long, 31.5 ± 0.8 mm wide and 27.0 ± 0.7 mm high. Its minimum values are 44.5, 30.7 and 26.3 mm. It misses the fictional length and width screen even though every nominal value looks larger than the required envelope. Put A on hold; do not assume the flexible material will stretch without changing coverage or retention.

Offer B returns minimum cavity dimensions of 46.0 × 32.0 × 27.0 mm and passes that arithmetic screen. Its cable opening, however, is 15.0–17.0 mm while the finished cable is only 13.2–13.8 mm, and the supplier gives no tie, lip or other retention feature. B therefore has an unresolved opening and retention question. Passing the cavity screen does not approve the boot.

Offer C returns a cable neck of 12.8–13.4 mm for the same 13.2–13.8 mm cable and identifies a material-specific assembly method. The worst loose-fit combination is 13.4 mm neck against 13.2 mm cable, creating 0.2 mm diametral clearance; the tightest combination is 12.8 mm neck against 13.8 mm cable, creating 1.0 mm diametral interference. The tolerance range therefore does not guarantee interference. The engineering owner must decide whether the loose end still meets retention and opening-coverage requirements and whether the tight end's installation force, wall strain and cable pressure are acceptable. No universal interference percentage is implied.

This example shows three independent decisions: cavity fit, opening coverage and retention. A comparison sheet should preserve all three rather than ranking bids by one “boot size.”

Build one evidence-request table for every bidder

Send the same matrix with the drawings so omissions remain visible.

On small screens, swipe or scroll sideways to read every column. Keyboard users can focus the table and use the arrow keys.

Request “not available” where a document cannot be supplied. A blank field should not turn into a pass in the quotation summary. Price comparison begins only after the critical coverage and evidence gaps are visible.

Follow a staged supplier decision process

1. Approve the electrical connection first

Freeze the battery terminal, clamp or lug, hardware stack, torque, cable and support. Resolve positive and negative geometry separately. A boot cannot compensate for the wrong post, loose joint or unsupported cable.

2. State the protection boundary

Identify the conductive surfaces and approach objects, and separate accidental-short, touch, ingress, corrosion, flame and dielectric objectives. Cite the applicable project or regulatory basis.

3. Screen the drawing at tolerance limits

Compare minimum cavity dimensions with the maximum electrical stack. Compare cable opening limits with the finished cable. Check neighboring walls, hold-downs, lids and tools. Record every assumed dimension as open.

4. Review retention and service

Identify the lip, tie, snap, clip, tether or captured feature. Confirm included hardware and installation sequence. Define installation and removal without loading the terminal or using an unsafe improvised tool.

5. Close material-evidence gaps

Match the resin or elastomer maker, grade, color and minimum wall to dielectric, flammability, temperature and fluid records. Keep coupon or plaque tests separate from molded-component and assembly evidence.

6. Inspect a production-representative first article

Use the approved battery interface, production cable, terminal stack and boot revision. Check coverage, retention, cable route, bend, neighboring metal and service access in all required positions. Photograph and dimension the actual configuration.

7. Perform only the defined functional checks

Apply the engineering-approved approach, retention, conditioning, dielectric or environmental tests. Record method, equipment, samples, results and failures. Do not improvise high-voltage or energized short-circuit demonstrations as a receiving inspection.

8. Freeze the BOM and change triggers

Record boot part, material grade/color, molding revision, retention hardware, cable, terminal assembly, drawings and evidence IDs. Require notice before any change to those fields.

This sequence permits a bid to pass drawing review while remaining on hold for material evidence, or pass material review while failing installed coverage. That is more useful than one ambiguous “approved boot” cell.

Inspect the first article in its worst approved configurations

Choose the configuration most likely to challenge each requirement. The tallest stack challenges crown clearance. The widest or angled lug challenges side coverage. The largest cable challenges assembly and neck strain. The smallest cable can challenge retention and opening coverage. A cold-conditioned boot can challenge flexibility; a hot-conditioned sample can challenge shape retention when those conditions are relevant.

Record at least:

1. boot part number, revision, color and lot or supplied traceability;
2. battery, terminal, lug, hardware, cable and sleeve identities;
3. as-received condition and any molding damage;
4. installation sequence and tools;
5. coverage from top, sides, cable end and battery-facing side;
6. opening dimensions or fit observations against predefined limits;
7. retention feature and included hardware;
8. cable support, bend and movement;
9. clearance to conductive structure and enclosure movement;
10. removal and refit condition where reuse is permitted;
11. test conditioning and exact evidence references; and
12. deviations and responsible disposition.

Do not energize the assembly merely to prove the cover looks correct. Electrical or dielectric testing requires an approved safe plan, equipment and sample boundary. A visual fit record is valuable configuration evidence, but it is not a withstand, ingress, flame or long-term durability result.

After any test, inspect for tears, whitening, permanent stretch, split growth, loose snaps, tie migration, abrasion and displaced cable support. Recheck coverage; a boot can remain attached yet shift far enough to expose metal.

Control packaging, installation and field replacement

Protect the boot from deformation, sharp hardware, UV or contamination during storage and shipment as required by its documented material. If it is preinstalled, packaging must not press it off the terminal or force the cable into a new angle. If supplied loose, label positive/negative, orientation and exact assembly clearly.

The work instruction should show the boot before and after installation, the cable exit, retention hardware and prohibited conditions. Include examples of incomplete seating, rolled skirts, trapped wires, torn necks, missing ties and exposed conductive edges. Do not rely on red/black color alone to prevent polarity mistakes.

Define service replacement. A boot that becomes stiff, cracked, swollen, cut, heat damaged or unable to retain its position needs a disposition based on the approved criteria. If removal requires cutting a tie, specify the replacement tie. If a one-piece boot cannot pass over the installed lug, state whether the cable assembly must be replaced or whether an approved split service part exists.

For transport, decide whether the installed boot remains adequate after packaging movement or whether a separate cap or non-conductive packaging control is required. Keep this decision tied to the applicable transport rule and shipping configuration.

Require change control for every feature that affects coverage

Changes that can reopen approval include terminal or lug geometry, washer count, nut height, auxiliary leads, cable OD, insulation formulation, heat-shrink, cable exit, support point, boot material or hardness, color formulation, wall thickness, molding tool or cavity, parting line, retention hardware, split or hinge, and supplier manufacturing site when it affects the controlled evidence.

A “same material” substitution can have different hardness, shrinkage, dielectric data or flame coverage. A lug with the same stud hole can be wider. A cable with the same conductor size can have a larger jacket. A cable tie with the same nominal width can use a different polymer. Require a marked comparison and evidence-based disposition rather than visual equivalence.

Use the battery cable first-article and change-control guide for the wider record. Preserve the approved boot with the complete cable-and-terminal BOM so future buyers do not compare a loose accessory against an installed requirement.

Send a boot-specific RFQ

Attach the exact battery and terminal-stack drawings, positive/negative orientation, cable specification and finished OD, surrounding metal and enclosure, protection objective, environmental profile, service sequence, evidence matrix and first-article plan. Ask bidders to identify the exact boot, material, cable-exit architecture, retention parts, dimensional limits, source records, deviations and current commercial terms.

Use the battery terminal category as a starting point for the electrical interface, then send the frozen assembly and evidence request. Send a project-specific battery terminal boot RFQ.

Buyer FAQ

Does a red battery-terminal boot prove that it is for the positive pole?

No. Color supports identification only when the controlled part number, drawing, packaging and assembly instruction assign it to that polarity. Verify the exact positive and negative terminal geometry and labels; do not use color to correct a fit mismatch.

Is cable gauge enough to choose the boot opening?

No. Supply the finished outside diameter and tolerance at the exit, including insulation, heat-shrink, overmold, labels and ovality. The same conductor size can have different finished envelopes.

Does a PVC or silicone description provide a dielectric rating?

No. It names a broad material family. Request the maker, grade, formulation/color, minimum wall, conditioning, test method and report. Then define any molded-part or assembly proof required by the application.

Does a protective boot make the terminal IP67 or IP68?

Not by itself. An IP code requires evidence for the applicable enclosure and installed configuration under IEC 60529 or the governing specification. An open cable neck or skirt may still satisfy an accidental-short objective while providing no claimed ingress class.

How tight should the cable neck be?

There is no universal interference value in this guide. The supplier should define the retention principle and supported cable range, while the project sets installation-force, strain, sealing or retention requirements. Verify the tolerance extremes on the real cable.

Can the installer trim or slit the boot to fit an angled cable?

Only if the controlled design and work instruction permit the exact cut and the resulting coverage, edge and material condition have been approved. An improvised cut is a part change and can propagate or expose the terminal.

Is a cable tie an acceptable boot-retention method?

It can be when the exact product and design specify it. Identify the tie, material, location, installation method, service replacement and environmental evidence. Confirm whether it is included in the quotation; Blue Sea PN 4018, for example, says its tie is not included.

Does the boot prevent terminal corrosion?

Do not assume so. It may reduce direct contamination, shed some splash or trap moisture depending on the design. Map the moisture path, materials, drainage, inspection and applicable corrosion evidence separately.

Does a UL 94 V-0 material make the boot electrically safe?

No. UL 94 addresses material behavior in specified small-scale flame tests. It does not establish dielectric strength, installed coverage, IP protection or a complete-component safety approval. Verify each required property independently.

Should the boot be pull-tested on an energized battery?

No routine energized test follows from this guide. Define a safe mechanical check using a fixture or de-energized representative assembly whenever possible. Any energized or high-voltage work needs a separately approved test plan and qualified personnel.

What information is needed to compare price, MOQ and lead time?

Freeze the exact boot part or controlled custom drawing, material/color, retention hardware, cable and terminal configurations, quantities, samples, evidence, packaging and destination. Ask each supplier to state current price, MOQ and lead time for that same scope and to list exclusions.

When must a protective boot be requalified?

Review changes to the terminal stack, lug, cable OD or route, sleeve, boot geometry, material grade or color, wall thickness, molding revision, retention hardware, environment or service procedure. Repeat the affected drawing, fit, retention and evidence checks when equivalence is not demonstrated.

Official sources checked on 2026-10-04

Official standards, regulatory text and original-manufacturer pages cited above were checked on October 4, 2026. Standards and product documents can change; verify the current edition, page and exact offered configuration when the RFQ is issued.