Hi folks,
I decided to check out what options I had regarding the infrared remote for my K10D. Paying $30 dollars for a remote seemed a bit much, particularly considering the many other Pentax things I would like to spend my hard earned money on.
So I decided to tinker with the universal remotes I have at home. After a few unsuccessful tries, I gave up. None of the codes listed online worked, and doing the "Search code" function didn't work either. My father-in-law, genius, suggested maybe the remotes were too old to have the right code.
So while out shopping with the Ms, I happened to go to the local discount sell-it-all-once-it's-been-discontinued type items and saw this little GE universal remote (RM24948) being sold for $3.99.
As you can see, it has very few buttons and it's small by multi-device remote control standards.
After a few minutes of searching and playing with the code-search function, the camera fired a shot.
but I hit the wrong button and the code was lost,
so I searched for it again and sure enough. Fires consitently!
Not only does it fire with the power button, but also with the volume button, up and down, and mute. This makes it much easier for us big handed people to find the right button!
Now I have an IR remote for my K10D that is less likely to get lost than the miniature Pentax model. If I do lose it or break it, no big deal. The remote, thanks to the fact that it has no numbers, doesn't necessarily scream out TV remote.
I ran some tests indoors, and was able to activate the camera from 20+ feet away, and even bounce the IR from a surface at closer distances. Tomorrow I'll park the camera next to our birdfeeder and see how well it works in sunlight.
EDIT: Remote code 0256