It would so good as not have impact on image quality with that I mean 99,9999999999999999999999% not effect your photos.

Then what's the use of having a hood if you leave them at home?

Check the label in the bag

PF is also caused by the camera so not only the lens is to blame.

Try here http://www.srsmicrosystems.co.uk/

can't you adapt a car battery?

Just checked your camera settings and it was indeed set on "daylight" probably it's not a fixed value but you limit the range the AWB works.
I've no idea since I never use it.

Scary isn't it what you can find out?

Pentax Version: 51.0.0
Pentax Model Group: Group 1 (DSLR series & Various Optio models)
Preview Image Size: 640 x 480
Preview Image Length: 23025 bytes
Preview Image Start: 0x00008EC0
Pentax Model: K-x
Date: 2010-04-09
Time: 15:29:52
Quality: RAW
Flash Mode: Off, Did not fire; Internal
Focus Mode: AF-A
AF Point Selected: Auto
Exposure Time: 1/100"
F Number: F7.1
ISO: 200/24°
??? (0016): 50
Metering Mode: Multi-segment
Auto Bracketing: 0 EV, No Extended Bracket
White Balance: Daylight
Focal Length: 12 mm
Saturation: Normal
Contrast: Med High
Sharpness: Med Hard
DSP Firmware Version: 1.01.00.07
CPU Firmware Version: 1.01.00.07
Effective LV: 11.3 LV
Picture Mode: Aperture Priority; 1/3 EV steps
Drive Mode: Single-frame; No Timer; Shutter Button; Single Exposure
??? (0035): 12053, 8005
Color Space: sRGB
Image Area Offset: x = 10 px, y = 10 px
RAW Image Size: width = 4288 px, height = 2848 px
??? (003D): 8289
Preview Image Borders: top = 28, bottom = 28, left = 0, right = 0
Lens ID: 4 + 248 + 0 + 0
Pentax Lens Type: FA, FAJ, DFA or DA
Lens Name(s) of the ID: smc PENTAX-DA 12-24mm F4 ED AL [IF]
Camera Temperature: 30 °C
AE Lock: On
Noise Reduction: Off
Flash Exposure Compensation: ±0
Image Tone: Bright
Color Temperature: Not set
SR Result: stabilized
Shake Reduction (Setup): On
Shutter Release Half Press Time: 1.45 sec
SR Focal length: 12 mm
Shutter Count: 1049
??? (0060): 0, 0, 0, 0
??? (0062): 5
??? (0067): 1
??? (006: 1, 0
Dynamic Range Expansion: Off
??? (006B): 2, 0, 20, 21
??? (006C): 0, 0
??? (0070): 0
High ISO Noise Reduction: Medium
??? (0071): 0
??? (0071): 56
AF Adjustment: ±0
??? (0073): 65535
??? (0074): 65535
??? (0076): 0, 0
??? (0077): 0, 0
??? (007: 0, 0
??? (0079): 0, 0
Black Point: [49, 47, 47, 49]
White Point: [14464, 8288, 8288, 12640]
Picture Mode 2: Aperture Priority
Program Line: Normal
EV Steps: 1/3 EV steps
E-Dial In Program: P Shift
Aperture Ring Use: Permitted
Flash Options: Normal
Metering Mode (2): Multi-segment
AF Point Mode: Auto
Focus Mode 2: AF-A
AF Point Selected 2: 0
ISO Floor: 200/24°
Drive Mode 2: Single-frame
Exposure Bracket Step Size: 0.3
Bracket Shot Number: n/a
White Balance Set: Auto
Multiple Exposure Set: Off
??? (0205): 0
??? (0205): 0
??? (0205): 113
Lens Name: smc PENTAX-DA 12-24mm F4 ED AL [IF]
Pentax Lens Type: FA, FAJ, DFA or DA
Lens ID: 4 + 248
Additional Flags: New LensInfo format? (Bit 7)
Auto Aperture: On
Nominal Aperture Range: F4 - F22
Lens F-Stops: 5
Lens Kind / Version (LC0): 2 / 8
Lens Data (LC1): 214
Distance Code Data (LC2): Range: 03; Step: 7 (Code: 27; Very Far/Infinite)
K-Value (LC3): 79
Near Distance Abberation Correction Data (LC4): 99
Light Color Aberration Correction Data (LC5): 2
Open Aberration Data (LC6): 14
AF Minimum Actuation Condition Data (LC7): 102
Focal Length (LC: 11.9 mm
Nominal AVmin / AVmax (LC9): F4 / F22
mv' nv' Data (LC10): 114
AVC 1/EXP Data (LC11): 52
mv1 Avminsif Data (LC12): 2
AVmin Data (LC13): F4
UNT_12 UNT_6 Data (LC14): Not set
Incorporated Flash Suited END Data (LC15): 3
??? (0207): 255
??? (0207): 255
??? (0207): 255
??? (0207): 248
??? (0207): 9
??? (0207): 99
??? (0207): 2
??? (0207): 13
??? (0207): 0
??? (0207): 102
??? (0207): 6
??? (0207): 0
??? (0207): 0
??? (0207): 0
??? (0207): 0
??? (0207): 0
??? (0207): 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
??? (0207): 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 3, 94, 139, 250, 205, 226, 19, 190, 90, 155, 30, 133, 170, 237, 6, 131
Flash Status: Off
Internal Flash Mode: Off, Normal
External Flash Mode: Off
Internal Flash Strength: 0
TTL D/A A-ch Up: 150
TTL D/A A-ch Down: 24
TTL D/A B-ch Up: 235
TTL D/A B-ch Down: 0
??? (020: 0
??? (020: 0
??? (020: 0
??? (020: 0
??? (020: 0
??? (020: 0
??? (020: 0
??? (020: 0
??? (020: 0
??? (020: 0
??? (020: 0
??? (020: 0
??? (020: 0
??? (020: 0
??? (020: 0
AE Metering Segment 1: 10.3 LV (center)
AE Metering Segment 2: 10.4 LV (center edge)
AE Metering Segment 3: 10.5 LV (upper, mid-right)
AE Metering Segment 4: 12.9 LV (upper, mid-left)
AE Metering Segment 5: 9.6 LV (upper, right)
AE Metering Segment 6: 12.8 LV (upper, left)
AE Metering Segment 7: 9.6 LV (mid-right)
AE Metering Segment 8: 10.9 LV (mid-left)
AE Metering Segment 9: 9.5 LV (right)
AE Metering Segment 10: 10.9 LV (left)
AE Metering Segment 11: 10.3 LV (lower, mid-right)
AE Metering Segment 12: 10.4 LV (lower, mid-left)
AE Metering Segment 13: 9.9 LV (lower, right)
AE Metering Segment 14: 10.4 LV (lower, left)
AE Metering Segment 15: 13 LV (top)
AE Metering Segment 16: 10.4 LV (bottom)
Flash Metering Segments: not set
Slave Flash Metering Segments: not set
Pentax Model: K-x
Manufacture Date?: 2009-09-15
Camera has been serviced?: Serviced bit not set (Value: 2?)
Production ID?: 2
Internal Serial Number?: 8010228
Number of Matrices: 16 matrices
Matrix 1: [12576, -3616, -768], [-1056, 11936, -2688], [224, -2912, 10880]
Matrix 2: [13606, -4167, -1247], [-1273, 12937, -3472], [-31, -4293, 12516]
Matrix 3: [13880, -4432, -1256], [-1794, 13448, -3462], [-342, -3607, 12141]
Matrix 4: [13941, -4561, -1188], [-1694, 13558, -3672], [-730, -4899, 13821]
Matrix 5: [15658, -6133, -1333], [-1621, 15119, -5306], [-184, -2845, 11221]
Matrix 6: [8725, -698, 165], [-640, 9476, -644], [52, -442, 8582]
Matrix 7: [12576, -3616, -768], [-1056, 11936, -2688], [224, -2912, 10880]
Matrix 8: [3189, 5576, -573], [3189, 5576, -573], [3189, 5576, -573]
Matrix 9: [1275, 8283, -1366], [1276, 8282, -1366], [1276, 8283, -1367]
Matrix 10: [3783, 5369, -960], [3783, 5369, -960], [3783, 5369, -960]
Matrix 11: [8652, 128, -588], [8652, 128, -588], [8652, 128, -588]
Matrix 12: [10284, -2100, 8], [10285, -2101, 8], [10285, -2100, 7]
Matrix 13: [7123, 42, 1027], [7123, 42, 1027], [7123, 42, 1027]
Matrix 14: [-1434, 1280, 8346], [-1434, 1280, 8346], [-1434, 1280, 8346]
Matrix 15: [-1160, 4785, 4567], [-1160, 4785, 4567], [-1160, 4785, 4567]
??? (0222): 8323
??? (0222): 8036
??? (0222): 8061
??? (0222): 8348
??? (0222): 8520
??? (0222): 8438
??? (0222): 7987
??? (0222): 7946
WB BA compensation: ±0
WB GM compensation: ±0
EV Steps: 1/3 EV steps
Sensitivity Steps: 1 EV steps
??? (0229): 3439277
??? (0231): 328, 208, 64, 64
D-Range Compensation: Auto
??? (03FF): 1, 49, 47, 47, 49, 0, 14026, 0, 8192, 8289, 8192, 0, 0, 0, 48

Flossie for now you might want to try lightroom 3 beta2.
It's Beta software so not for actually reproduction use but it's fully functional till 30 June.

or you can have a look at silkypix, the Pentax software is based on that and many members use it.

As for spending money, Pentax is one of the few that offers the software for free so you can't complain much.

It might be user error with the software since I never used the software myself I've no idea how it works.

Well I dared to download them, took only 3 seconds

03 = temp 4700 / tint +1
04 = temp 4400 / tint +2

So the white balance isn't the same with both.
When I set the balance the same the colours are the same in both photos.

Sigma 30mm f/1.4 would be your best bet, there aren't that many fast lenses around that range.