Whew! My thanks to everyone for your responses. Although I am suddenly hesitant in my expectation of some pretty strong, ehh...ribbing, I will try here to respond to the messages since my last posting.
The direction of the discussion here had already led me to the decision to rework my wiring in the panel closet as Ranger advises. Combined with Crash's specific suggestions concerning power supplies and my assumption that such supplies have the terminals for 4-wire devices such as the smokes, I think I have a reasonable idea as to how to begin.
I had read the manual several times which originally led me to the loop extender in order to maintain independent zones for each item since the Vista 50P could provide only eight zones in this design. My life experience that manuals frequently leave out important information either as too basic or irrelevant appears, however, to have led me down a garden path in re the 4297. This is where the folks here can groan or laugh, cry or....
The 4-wire devices, including smokes, wired to the 4208U expansion modules have the data pair connected to the individual zone data terminals. But then, the power pair from ALL such devices are together wired to the expansion module's power terminals. This is to say that the terminals which supply power to the expansion module are "tapped" (if I can say it this way) by the smokes et cetera. So, yes, I have connected the 4-wire smokes to the polling loop but only (?) the data pair.
I know it is a joke, but no one here has sold me anything nor did I have contact with anyone in this group prior to completion (ahem) of my installation.
Yes, I got it that contact and relay ratings are not the draw and that waterflow, heats, and contacts do not draw at all.
My google on Altronics led me to an Australian computer power supply company. I will seek out the Brooklyn concern. IIRC?
Although I understand what is meant when I am corrected, a google on the term "DC transformer" turns up some interesting though irrelevant information.
Thanks again to all.
Crash Gord> I have this discussion with a friend of mine at least 1x a month. Oye. >