Switching thresholds of plated wires were determined with slowly applied external magnetic fields, using both torquemeter and ac techniques. The samples included wires having helical easy-direction angles of 0°, 24°, 30°, and 60°. A study was made of the dependence of switching threshold H
Con the angle θ between applied field and wire axis. Good agreement was found with the relation

for all helical angles and for θ as high as 85°. It is concluded that with the cylindrical film geometry only the axial component of external field is effective in quasi-static switching over wide ranges of field direction and helical angle.