Silly question, but why stay with a small refractor when a Meade 85mm reflector (or similar) could be used instead?
I’ve tried CCDs on cheap small aperture refractors and the star images are distinctly blobby because the different colours come to different focuses.
I’ve used a reflector as my autoguider/finder for years – run by my own code – and found using a small reflector, with its less blobby stars, more sensitive than when I used the refractor(s).
Would also say, avoid colour cameras as far as possible, the Bayer matrix reduces sensitivity a lot.
Intrigued by “Star hopping plan”. I just used a copy of Uranometria…