[DIYbio] Re: reading PCR results without electrophoresis?

hi folks!

dipping my toes into doing a little PCR at home. i got a very inexpensive thermal cycler, and was hoping to amplify COVID sequences. i see that the primer kits (like e.g. https://www.qiagen.com/us/products/discovery-and-translational-research/pcr-qpcr-dpcr/qpcr-assays-and-instruments/sars-cov-2-assay-kit/ ) have probes coupled to a FAM dye, meant to be read by a qPCR machine after each cycle.

however, i don't have a qPCR machine, and those tend to be much more expensive. curious -- if i amplify my sample in a non-quantitative thermal cycler, how do i read the results? should i still then do gel electrophoresis, and does it work with primers designed for qPCR machines?

alternatively -- is there a shortcut to read the results just based on the dye? is there a DIY version of the lights-and-camera setup inside qPCR machines? i'm not trying to actually do a quantitative analysis or read the results after each cycle, i'm okay running 40 cycles with, say, water and a positive control, and then being able to distinguish between the two.

thanks!

--igor