Results obtained in the initial experimental phase of Heliotron J are reported. Electron beam mapping of the magnetic surfaces at a reduced DC magnetic field has revealed that the observed surfaces are in basic agreement with the ones calculated on the basis of the measuredambient field around the device. For 53.2 GHz second harmonic ECH hydrogen plasmas, a fairly wide resonance range for breakdown and heating by the TE02 mode has been observed in Heliotron J as compared with that in Heliotron E. With ECH injection powers up to ≈ 400 kW, diamagnetic stored energies up to ≈ 0.7 kJ were obtained without optimizeddensity control.