Question: I've recently found a number of my own programs (very old!) on Spectrum +3 discs, and I'm about to get hold of a working +3. Assuming the discs are readable, I'd like to transfer the programs (mostly basic, some machine code) into something I can back-up and play with - ideally .TAP etc.

I presume I could load them into the +3 file by file and save them to real tape, and then audio-grab the tape and turn into .TAP via an emulator or utility - but it seems a bit long winded. Is there an easier way that I'm completely overlooking?

For reference, there are at best 4 sides full of data, so can't really be more than about 680Kb maximum spread over perhaps 50 or 60 files. 

[Edit:outcome]
I got a 3.5" floppy working, with a doctored IDE-type cable, and I used SpeccyTape on the iPhone to transfer Garry Lancaster's various disk utilities down onto a +3 disk. From there I was able to format some +3-format and MSDOS format disks and transfer/backup and otherwise just 'use' my disks. Great stuff. Happy to help anyone else who wanders this way, although there is plenty of help already out there.

Answer: 
I once wrote a program for this sort of situation: [DSKREAD](http://www.seasip.info/dskread.zip). It runs on a +3 and archives entire disks to tape. You could record the audio, convert to a .TAP file, and then load the .TAP in a +3 emulator to recreate .DSK images containing the original files.

As far as I know, no-one's tested DSKREAD on a real +3, so I've no idea whether it would actually work. It certainly can't handle any form of copy protection, and I think bad sectors might give it trouble.

If your PC has a real floppy controller (ie, a 34-way floppy connector on the motherboard, not a USB drive), you could also try either:

* Connect the Spectrum's 3" drive to the PC's floppy controller, [using
a handwired cable](http://www.fvempel.nl/3pc.html). Then use a tool like [SamDisk](http://simonowen.com/samdisk/) to image the
discs directly.
* [Connect a 3.5" drive to the +3's external drive socket](https://randomkak.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/35-inch-drive-on-your-spectrum.html) (You may need to short the READY pin to ground, if the 3.5" drive doesn't produce a READY signal). Use the COPY command on the +3 to copy all the files to the 3.5" drive. Then put the 3.5" drive in the PC and do the same imaging process.
One solution is to [plug](http://torlus.com/floppy/forum/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=403) an [HxC floppy emulator](http://hxc2001.free.fr/floppy_drive_emulator/) into the external floppy port and do a simple disk copy to an image on the SD card.