I was just about to start a thread about this driver when I saw your review because I am thinking about getting one.
May I ask you (and all the other electronics experts here on BLF): On Aqualab's driverlist which I found very helpful and trustworthy in the past the Vin for this driver is listed as 3,3-6,6 V. Now I am wondering: Is it possible to run it safely with 2 x CR123A (primaries)? Is there any alternative that can handle both 1 x Li-Ion and 2 x CR123A that gives >2A and has at leat one low mode and preferably no strobe?
Shiningbeam says its drivers can be run on 6V, but not 7.2V. They are NANJG linear regulators too, so I think you can do it, but you will lose a lot of the efficiency because all of the extra voltage will be burned off by the linear regulators. What you are describing is more of a buck driver, but I don't know of any good cheap 3-mode ones. A buck driver would work great on 2 cells and would probably go to direct drive pretty quickly on 1 cell.
The limiting factor is the MCU (Micro Controller Unit) which is specified running from 2V to 5.5V. Add to this about 0.3V for the schottky diode that feeds the MCU (polarity protection). Then you have the range 2.3V to 5.8V for guarantied running. The absolute maximum voltage is specified to 6.5V, that becomes 6.8V battery voltage. Above that you could destroy the MCU. The low voltage is given by Vf of the LED (plus a small voltage drop, say 0.15V in the 7135's) or about 3V.
So it is possible to run the Nanjg 105A with 2 x CR123A but not very safe/not recommended to do so over any longer period of time, if I understood correctly?
I will be happy to measure the current draw, but am not able to do it yet. Thanks to our dear government I could not buy a drop-in with XM-L which costs way over our import limit, so I had to make two orders of one XM-L star each at DX. That happened dec.23 and I have heard nothing from them since. I have a Skyray P60 host and reflector with pill ready to assemble my first XM-L light.
The percentage numbers in my review are from oscilloscope measurements of pulse width's.
I think it will be safe (but expensive) to use 2 x CR123A 3V primaries if you only look at voltages. But there will be generated lots of heat. The two extra Volts dropped in the regulator at 2.8 Amp will generate 2 x 2.8 = 5.6 Watt on top of the 10-11 Watt with a single Li-Ion cell. That must be a no-go.
I think the free of duty limit is set by the EU. The UK version is £18 which is roughly the same amount. But our Post Office doesn't seem to care much about stuff from China. Up until now, I have never had any order queried or opened. And I doubt Customs here are all that bothered.
Since the values on the packages are all incorrect, what our customs know, they check them from time to time. Sure they are unable to estimate the real value either way. But when they open one and they feel like asking for a proof, they usually charge 11 euros for the procedure, regardless if the receipt shows, it was less than 22 euros or not. When I order goods from a store, where I have to pay the shippment I don't split the orders. Usually, three out of four of them go through anyway without to get checked. So finally, when I count all together I still win.