You should be able to squeeze a bit more life out of your HTC Hero battery but unfortunately most of these tips will reduce the functionality.
1. Disable the "Always On" Data Option - Instead of having your phone always searching for updates you can just switch the data on when you need it. From your home screen hit Menu > Mobile network and then turn it off. This will single handedly be the biggest energy saver, since your phone is no longer constantly searching for information.
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2. Disable Wireless Network Positioning Services - From your home screen hit Menu > Settings > Location and finally uncheck Use wireless networks. Please note you don't need to turn off the GPS checkbox since GPS only operates in conjunction with the GPS apps that access it.
3. Turn Off Wi-Fi - This one's quick, just select Menu > Settings > Wireless Controls and then uncheck Wi-Fi.
4. Turn Off the Weather Widget - This is a function that constantly pulls in data, which in turn drains battery life. Turn this function off by doing the following: Menu > All Programs > Weather then choose the Menu option from within the Weather program and choose Setting where you can disable Update Automatically. Now you can just pull Weather information in when you want it, not constantly.
5. Set Your Other Constant Update Apps to Lower Update Frequencies - There's really no menu to navigate here, it depends on the applications you're using. For example you could set the Facebook app to only update once an hour rather than every 5 minutes. The main point is simple, you want to use the least amount of data possible to help reduce battery strain. The best option is to set all of them to manually update only when you ask.
6. Use the Task Panel and Shut Down Apps - Sure the HTC Hero can run 10 apps at one time without many issues, but every application that remains open is using processing power, which in turn is draining your device's battery. Exit applications you're not using to save battery life. You can see what is running from your home screen by hitting Menu > Settings > Applications > Manage Applications and then tap the Running tab at the top. If you see anything that shouldn't be running then tap on it and select Force stop. Be careful here though, some apps will just restart themselves anyway but it's best to pick on games or apps that you know don't need to be running.
7. Turn Down Screen Brightness - From the Hero Launcher click on Screen & Lock > Screen > Brightness. You can drag the brightness down slightly to save on battery life. This is really a personal preference option, if you don't like a super bright screen then you'll want to turn it down because the factory settings tend to offer a blaring brightness.
