If there is 40% neon or neon-helium in argon in T5 HO, why I've never seen a red glow discharges at the ends of them?
looking at an official manufacturing chart I happen to have for the fill gas and pressures of T5 tubes, only the 24W and 39W HO types are Half Neon filled, the 54W 49W and 80W are still Pure Argon, and I think most of the T5 HO tubes you have looked at have been 54W ones?
(although of course there could still be manufacture to manufacture variation)