I posted this in Yanosh's post in the "Ask the Tapers" forum, but will repost it here:
$170 dollars is do-able for a budget.
My first rig was about that. Bought it from Boogie. Sound Professionals croakies mount AT831 > SPSB-2 > Sharp MD. I still use the mics & batt box but run it into a NJB3 for stealthing. It's a great starter rig! The only down side with the MD is the fact that unless you have a standalone MD player with a digital out, it is hard to get the shows onto your computer for editing / burning to disk. BUT, there are plenty of gracious tapers here who will do transfers for you free of charge. Kevin (blu666z) I know still offers this up on the boards, and I think Boogie does as well.
Don't be discouraged with a small budget. It's definitely do-able, just might take a little longer to find the equipment. Good luck! It's an addicting hobby!!
There is nothing wrong with starting out on a tight budget. For the money that Yanosh has to put up he can get a good rig. There's plenty of tapers that don't have the bank to jump in as deep as many people here do. Besides, why not get what you can afford and upgrade when you decide if this something you really want to invest $$$ in?