#6831 Message Decoder / Space Police Patrol

After just two builds of sets from the ’90s, we’re now stepping back into the ’80s, the main period of sets on this blog, with #6831 Message Decoder—also called Space Police Patrol.

This set was released in 1989 along with the other five sets in the original Space Police theme. I probably received it as a gift that year or the year after, as I’ve at least spotted it in a blurry photo taken in the autumn of ’90.

The LEGO pieces for the Message Decoder laid out for building on a classic spaceport baseplate

It’s a small build of 23 pieces and one Space Police minifigure, so there’s no bad guy to chase! But don’t worry, you’ll find that the next build on this blog will include one, and also my friends had more, so there was no shortage!

The first side of the instruction booklet, covering minifigure build and steps 1 to 3

Minifigure overlooking a black 2x10 plate—the base of the build.

A blue 2x2 slope is placed at the back, black mudguards in front of it, and a black 2x4 plate protruding 1 stud at the front of the build.

2 backwards facing blue headlight bricks are placed at the back section, and mudguards are added to the front piece.

The base for the vehicle is a simple build based on a 2x10 plate, but note that the front mudguards are placed slightly higher than the back ones…

The second side of the instruction booklet, covering build steps 4 to 8

A blue & black hinge brick is added with hinge upwards to the backside of the headlight bricks at the back. 2 black levers are placed on the front mudguards. A blue 3x4 wedge plate is placed at the front.

A black 1x6 bar is attached to the hinge brick at the back, and a printed "Police&quote; 2x3 slope is placed at the front.

Balloon wheels are placed on the underside of the vehicle, under each mudguard.

Transparent red dishes are put on the forward-facing ends of the bar at the back, and a 1 x 4 offset plate is placed at the back of the headlight bricks, with offsets upwards.

Forward-facing red lights are put on the offset plate ends at the back of the vehicle, and black forward pointing antennas are added to both dishes.

…which allows for that classic slight forward slope of the vehicle with the back wheels distanced from the base by the height one plate. I remember often building my own vehicles like that as a kid.

Minifigure seated in the completed vehicle with the "decoder antennas" raised

The "decoder" antennas can be raised, presumably for receiving messages, but of course with the alternate name of the set in mind, this could just as well represent some kind of energy weapon!

I don't remember playing much with this set, I guess it was just so much smaller and less swooshable next to the other LEGO space sets I had. I think I appreciate the simplicity of the build a lot more now as an adult. The Message Decoder looks impressively advanced for just 23 pieces!

The next build here on Hyggebygge will be the other Space Police set I had. I’ve already prepared the two space police and single Blacktron minifigures for it, let’s hope I find all the other pieces!